Would a Death Penalty for Poachers Stop Poachers Killing Elephants?

We need a solution before elephants become extinct

Every day, poachers kill 100 African elephants for their ivory, meat and body parts. If this killing spree continues the African elephant will be extinct in the wild by 2030.

Never again would magnificent elephants like Satao walk the African Savannah. Satao was a ‘tusker’, a rare elephant with tusks estimated to weigh 100 pounds (45 kg) each and stretching 2m to the ground. Satao’s magnificence made him vulnerable. While the majority would look upon him in wonderment, others saw a valuable prize. Due to the value of his tusks, Satao was murdered by poachers.

The killing of elephants represents human greed. For some, elephant tusks are more valuable than the living elephant. But we can’t live on Earth by ourselves. We depend on biodiversity for our own survival. Saving elephants in the wild will represent a turning point in how we view animal species and our role in preserving and sustaining nature, not destroying it.

The current punishment for poaching elephants is a life sentence or a fine of $200,000. Last year, it was reported Najib Balala, Kenya’s tourism and wildlife minister was planning to fast track a law that would make poaching a crime punishable by death. It…