--- title: Endangered Elephants Illegal Wildlife Trade: DNA Could Stop Poaching description: Scientists say that they may use DNA from tusk seizures to trace elephants' origins, a potentially groundbreaking method for law enforcement canonical: https://time.com/3926324/dna-elephant-poaching/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-18T19:34:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:15.750Z article:section: Science og:title: Endangered Elephants Illegal Wildlife Trade: DNA Could Stop Poaching og:description: Scientists say that they may use DNA from tusk seizures to trace elephants' origins, a potentially groundbreaking method for law enforcement og:url: https://time.com/3926324/dna-elephant-poaching/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8410f0c0c6e51e4b/69885532f887dc33cae90fea/male-elephants-tusks.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4475 og:image:height: 2517 og:image:alt: male elephants og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Endangered Elephants Illegal Wildlife Trade: DNA Could Stop Poaching twitter:description: Scientists say that they may use DNA from tusk seizures to trace elephants' origins, a potentially groundbreaking method for law enforcement twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8410f0c0c6e51e4b/69885532f887dc33cae90fea/male-elephants-tusks.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How DNA Could Help Catch Elephant Poachers > Sponsored content. 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In this Climate Central report, Dr. Susan Prichard explains how tree-killing bark beetles flourish in warmer temperatures, leading to severe wildfires_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 18, 2015 7:34 PM UTC  Two male elephants Two male elephants Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 18, 2015 7:34 PM UTC Every year criminals around the world trade billions of dollars in products derived from wildlife. The elephant trade in particular has rankled government officials around the world with tens of thousands of the large mammals killed in Africa every year—a conservation threat, given the dwindling numbers of elephants in the wild. Now, scientists say that they may be able to use DNA from government seizes of illegal ivory tusks to trace elephants’ origins, a potentially groundbreaking method for law enforcement. Large-scale poaching, which accounts for more than 70% of the ivory trade, may be confined to just two areas, according to an [analysis](http://www.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aac6301) of the DNA tests published in the journal _Science._ “By being able to say that these came from just a couple of areas means that we can target those areas much more efficiently with law enforcement,” said study author Sam Wasser, on a conference call for journalists. ### Save the Animals: David Chancellor's Powerful Photographs of Conservation Efforts  An elephant collaring team watches as an elephant recovers from a tranquilizing dart. The future of wildlife in northern Kenya will require support and engagement from local communities allowing the safe migration of wildlife along centuries-old routes, across tribal lands. Once fitted with a satellite tracking collar the elephant's progress can be monitored. David Chancellor—INSTITUTE  A Kenya Wildlife service vet tranquillizes a problem elephant from a helicopter, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Northern Kenya. The elephant was one of several that had taken to breaking fences and was coming into conflict with local farmers. David Chancellor—INSTITUTE  Wildlife rangers prepare to relocate an elephant from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy to Meru National Park. Elephants discover quite quickly that their tusks do not conduct electricity, and that if they curl up their trunks they can quite happily break down electric fences that protect farms. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A tranquillized elephant is secured to a truck by rangers prior to be being transferred from Ol Pejeta Conservancy, northern Kenya, to Meru National Park. After repeatedly breaking down electric fences, it became necessary to move this elephant to an area far away from human settlement. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  An elephant satellite tracking collar is prepared by rangers at the Sera Community Conservancy in northern Kenya. The collar will be fitted to a lone bull elephant, supplying scientists with a detailed plan of his migration. It will also be used to monitor his well being as he travels through areas rife with poaching. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Wildlife rangers prepare to relocate a troublesome elephant from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy to Meru National Park in northern Kenya. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A Samburu moran prepares to construct a boma out of thorn bushes in which his cattle will spend the night safe from predators. The Samburu live in the northern highlands of Kenya; they are the country’s largest land occupiers and yet number few in a country of tens of millions. Fierce pastoralists, they saw no value in having wildlife on their lands because they believed it belonged to the government and was, therefore, of no benefit to them; cattle were allowed to graze everywhere, seriously degrading the grasslands. Under the stewardship of the Northern Rangelands Trust, the Samburu are learning to regenerate their lands and live alongside the wildlife. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  At dawn, Samburu Moran warriors take a camel to slaughter. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Prior to attending Imuget le nkarna (a celebration of 10 years as a warrior) Samburu Moran apply red ochre to their bodies. The Samburu are know as the "butterfly people" by other warrior tribes because of the bright colours they dress in, and flamboyant body adornments. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A samburu moran drinks the blood from the neck of a fresh slaughtered cow. A Samburu is a warrior for 13 years, during which time he lives completely in the bush with his cattle, drinking blood from the cows, milk, and occasionally water, and eating meat. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Traditionally a moran carries little more than a spear, a knife and a plastic five-litre oil container, which is used as a container for water, milk, and as a pillow to keep his headdress off the ground while sleeping. Now with the huge influx of weapons from neighboring Somalia they will often carry an illegal G3 rifle or similar, with which they will protect their cattle from raiders, and raid other tribes for their cattle. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Samburu moran take the meat that has been cut from slaughtered cows and hang it over a central tree. It will be cooked over open fires and placed on the ground under the same tree, from where it will be eaten by the warriors. This is one of the few occasions that the Moran will get to feast on meat during their time as warriors. From this point on (10 years as warriors), they are permitted to take wives. The Samburu have an ancient connection to elephants: they require elephant dung to marry and consider them sacred. Any Samburu that kills an elephant brings a curse (called "alanna") upon his family. Despite this, and with the incredible amount of money being offered, some Moran are now becoming poachers on lands where elephants would previously have been protected by tradition alone. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A leopard caught and killed in a poachers' snare is removed by conservancy rangers. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A veterinarian treats a lioness for an eye infection, Lewa Conservancy, Northern Kenya. The dual use of wildlife and livestock by communities in these remote areas of northern Kenya spreads the economic and financial risk, reduces vulnerability to droughts, and increases food security, it does however also increase the possibility of human-wildlife conflict which results in the necessity to also manage the wildlife itself. Wildlife can be used to generate the capital needed to help communities improve their welfare and bring peace, giving them a clear financial stake in preserving wildlife rather than killing it. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Call sign 9.2, Isiolo County, northern Kenya. ‘9.2’ is a mobile multi-ethnic anti poaching unit who can respond quickly and effectively to any given situation, not just poaching, across all of the Northern Rangelands Community Conservancies, without fear of tribal conflict. They live in the bush for 26 days of each month, returning to base to rest and re-equip for the remaining four days of each month. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A sedated black rhino is ear notched for identification purposes, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, northern Kenya. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A conservancy ranger removes the horn from a rhino that was killed by poachers who fled the scene on hearing the arrival of an airborne anti poaching team in the Lewa Conservancy, northern Kenya. When poachers flee without removing rhino horn, or elephant ivory, conservancy rangers, or Kenya Wildlife service are called upon to remove it, once removed it will be taken into custody by Kenya Wildlife Service and stored at its Nairobi Headquarters. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A black rhino is relocated from Lewa Conservancy to a neighbouring conservancy as part of an ongoing program to reintroduce Black Rhino across the northern rangelands of Kenya. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  It was hoped that several black rhino who were born blind would benefit from cataract surgery and be released back in to the wild. This operation was unsuccessful. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A black rhino is lowered onto a surgeon's operating table at Ol Joggi Conservancy, northern Kenya. David Chancellor—INSTITUTE  A black rhino calf orphaned by poachers is hand reared by a conservancy ranger. It’s hoped that it will be reintroduced into the wild once it is old enough to survive attacks from predators. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Poaching increases significantly during periods of full moon, also referred to as the "hunters moon" at Mpus Kutuk Community Conservancy, northern Kenya. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  The body of a poacher killed in a shoot-out with conservancy rangers lies in the open bush at Lewa Conservancy, northern Kenya. It was later discovered that the poacher was responsible for the death of a rhino and its one-month-old calf. He was carrying supplies and ammunition for several days of poaching within the conservancy. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  An elephant's foot, northern Kenya. Elephant's feet are used as waste paper bins and umbrella stands. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  The body of a farmer trampled to death by a rogue elephant at Naibunga Community Conservancy, northern Kenya, lies on a mortuary slab at the Nanyuki Mortuary. The irony is that as grazing management programs become more successful farmers move into areas previously only inhabited by wildlife, which results in an increase in human wildlife conflict. Here a farmer walking home in the evening was chased by an elephant, gored and trampled to death. The community demanded retribution. The elephant was hunted down by Kenya Wildlife services, shot, and its tusks removed and placed in the same safe store in Nairobi as those from poachers. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A poacher is interrogated by members of KWS and the community conservancy anti poaching unit ‘9.2’. Part of a team intent on poaching, possibly the youngest and most inexperienced of the group, he was found by the teams blood hounds breathing through a reed, under the surface of a river. He will almost certainly spend a considerable amount of time in prison. The others escaped. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Training conservancy rangers in the art of camouflage, Borana Ranch, northern Kenya. Ranger recruits are selected from applicants across all 27 conservancies and will form part of a multi-ethnic team once training is completed, at which time they will also receive weapons to replace sticks. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Lioness, northern Kenya David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A Kenyan Wildlife service officer puts down a mortally wounded elephant that was shot, but managed to escape from poachers, Westgate Community Conservancy, Northern Kenya. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Members of "Call Sign 9.2" community conservancy anti-poaching unit at the scene of a poaching, Kalama Community Conservancy, Northern Kenya. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  A sedated Grevy’s zebra is fitted with a satellite transmitting collar at Lekurruki Community Conservancy, northern Kenya. Its movement will be monitored by scientists in the US. Over recent years the decline in the numbers of zebras -- 80% in the past three decades -- has been primarily due to poaching, killing for meat, and loss of access to critical resources due to competition with domestic livestock. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE  Monitoring a lion's movements in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, northern Kenya. David Chancellor —INSTITUTE Wasser, a research professor at the University of Washington, and his co-authors first analyzed samples of more than 1,300 elephants in 71 locations across the African continent. They then compared the DNA of living elephants to DNA found in seized ivory. More than 85% of ivory from forest elephants came from a protected reserve that includes land in Gabon, Cameroon and Republic of Congo, and more than 85% of ivory from savanna elephants came from two reserves in Tanzania and Mozambique. The network of major ivory traders is the world’s fourth largest international organized crime network, according to the paper, and Wasser says that focusing on the locations in his paper could help bring down that network. The findings should also force countries to stop playing down the prevalence of the trade in their country, he said. **Read More:** [These Countries Are At The Center of The Illegal Wildlife Trade](http://time.com/3921138/illegal-wildlife-trade-countries/) Scientists estimate that fewer than 500,000 elephants live in Africa today, and poachers kill up to 50,000 of the animal each year to sell their tusks on the black market around the world. “Their loss is already causing major ecological, and economic damage in Africa, threatening national security,” said study author Sam Wasser, on a conference call for journalists. “If we do not curb the killings we are really going to cause serious problems throughout Africa.” ## Transcript >> I find it amazing that such a small non- descript little beetle can reeks a tabic on forest systems. >> A research scientist at the University of Washington Dr. Susan Prichard studies the effects of disturbances like insect outbreaks and wildfires on forests. Over the last two decades, more trees in western forests are being killed by bark beetles and there have been more fires. But, is climate change to blame? >> Each one of these, yellow sap concentration is an actual site where a mountain pine beetle as board into the bark of the logical pine and then it will lay eggs and its larvae will actually feed on the cambium tissue, the living tissue of the tree. So here, each one of the centers is an example of the tree trying to pitch out the beetle. The actual sap of the tree has [ unk ] that are toxic to the beetles and then also they are physically pushed the beetle out of the tree. >> Wow. So this tree is literally just fighting for its life. >> It is fighting for its life. That's not an overstatement actually. So, I can tell that unfortunately for this particular tree, it's not winning the fight. >> Beetles thrive in warmer weather. Mild winters, earlier springs and longer summers mean more beetles. >> So there is a climate linked for mountain pine beetle for sure. And what we're noticing in Washington State even today that in the last 20 years with warmer climate, warmer [ unk ] climate, there has been an increased incidents of mountain pine beetle. >> A resident of the quaint town in Winthrop in Central Washington, Dr. Prichard also says, warmer temperatures across the Western US have made drought stressed trees more vulnerable to beetle attack. >> Now if you have a vigorous tree, it will have enough defenses to pitch out some beetles so the beetles will attack the more weakened trees and maybe kill them. In an outbreak there could be, you know, acres upon acres of host trees where that there would be weakened, maybe drought, stressed, dense trees for these beetles to build up enough of a population that then they could start spreading into both weakened trees and healthy trees. >> Scientists have already made a definitive connection between warming temperatures and increase fires in the west. The connection between beetles and fire is less understood but many scientists like Prichard believe the combination of beetles, warming and drying forest will pre- dispose Washington State Forests to more fire. This year, more than 800 wild fires ignited in Washington State well above the yearly average. Prichard says in an outbreak of bark beetles starting in the 1990's let accumulations of dead trees priming the forests for a big fire event, which is exactly what occurred in August 2006 when the so- called tripod complex fire swept through the Okanogan Wenatchee forest destroying 180 thousand acres and costing $ 80 million. >> I actually saw the initial big smoke flumes. And if you were to look across the valley floor, you would not have been able to see even the trees. >> For Prichard, large fire events have been part of the landscape for millennium, vital to the renewal of the forest. She's concern about the future with an increase frequency of hot, dry weather, beetle outbreak and big fires. >> It actually reset the stage. It is a very natural cycle in this ecosystem. However, we are also facing unprecedented changes and climate. Here's an example of a Douglas first seedling, and you can see that it, you know, smaller in stature, it's very shallowly rooted in the soil and it's vulnerable to drought so as the top soil dries. It might dry out and die. So if we have more high severity fire then it might mean that trees that ever existed here for hundreds of not thousands of years are not able to success or able to produce. >> But since understanding the effect of disturbances on forest is her passion and work, Dr. Prichard has no plans to leave Central Washington anytime soon. They choose to live in a fire prone landscape. I think that's an important thing for people to actually take in to consideration when they wanna live in the great outdoors. The great outdoors in the Inland west means fire in the summers. >> Prichard and other scientist say climate change is at the very least partly responsible. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3926324/dna-elephant-poaching/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3926324/dna-elephant-poaching/"},"headline":"How DNA Could Help Catch Elephant Poachers","datePublished":"2015-06-18T19:34:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:41:15.750Z","description":"Poachers kill 50,000 elephants each year. 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