The man, dubbed "the butcher of Nouabale Ndoki" park in the Republic of Congo, is set to spend the next 30 years in prison. The park is a refuge for the region's rare forest elephants and is protected by UNESCO.
Image: picture-alliance/Godong/N. Deloche
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A notorious Congolese poacher was convicted to 30 years in prison for ivory trafficking and attempted murder of park rangers, a conservation group said on Tuesday.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mobanza Mobembo Gerard was handed the sentence in a criminal court of the neighboring Republic of Congo, Brazaville, according to a press release by NGO Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
It is the longest sentence handed to a poacher in the Republic of Congo, which had previously convicted poachers with up to 5 years in prison.
The 35-year-old man was known as "the butcher of Nouabale Ndoki," after the park where he targeted the animals.
The Nouabale Ndoki National Park was created in 1993 and is part of the Sangha Trinational that stretches across Congo's borders with Central African Republic and Cameroon. It was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2012.
The park covers 4,000 square kilometers (1,540 square miles) and its dense lowland rainforest has served as a refuge for the region's rare forest elephants, which were only confirmed to be a separate species from the larger African savanna elephant in 2010.
Poaching takes a toll on elephants
Elephant numbers have dropped by more than 60 percent over the last decade due to habitat loss and poaching. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory and meat.
Image: picture alliance/blickwinkel/M. Hicken
Dwindling numbers
A century ago, 10 million elephants were roaming across Africa - today, there are an estimated 450,000 to 700,000 African elephants and between 35,000 and 40,000 wild Asian elephants. Since elephant numbers have dropped by 62 percent over the last decade, conservationists fear they could be almost extinct in the next 10 years.
Image: picture-alliance/R. Harding
Killed for their ivory tusks
Every day, around 100 African elephants are killed for their tusks, which end up being sold mainly on the Asian market. In the past five years, Chinese demand for ivory has gone up, which fueled poaching even more. In July, customs officials at Zurich airport seized 262 kilograms (578 pounds) of ivory chopped up and hidden in eight suitcases during a random search on three Chinese passengers.
Image: Reuters/R. Sprich
Conflict fueled by ivory sales
Wildlife trafficking has been estimated to be the third biggest illegal business after drug and human trafficking. Illegal ivory boosts all kind of conflicts across the continent. For example, insurgent groups like Al-Shabab, the Lord's Resistance Army and Boko Haram buy weapons by handing in elephant tusks. A pound of ivory sells for about $1,000 (903 euros) on the Chinese black market.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/African Parks
Coexisting with elephants
Despite a ban on international ivory trade, elephants are still being targeted in large numbers. Organizations like SOS Elephants say it's crucial to teach local communities about why elephants are important for Africa's ecosystem and how they can make a living through ecotourism and coexisting farming techniques instead.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa-Zentralbild
Habitat loss
In addition to poaching, elephants are also struggling with dwindling habitat. Human populations have vastly increased since the turn of the century, meaning there's less space for elephants: Forests have been cleared and turned into land for crops or livestock. And some of the animals have been captured, trained and used for activities such as illegal logging.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Gambarini
Silver lining?
At the end of July 2015, US President Barack Obama announced plans to effectively ban most ivory trade in the United States and to add new restrictions when it could be exported. The US is the second biggest market for ivory after China which has also pledged to clamp down on ivory trade on its domestic markets.
Gerard is said to have led poaching expeditions in the Republic of Congo that may have resulted in the death of over 500 elephants since around 2008, WCS said.
The sentencing "sends an extremely strong message that wildlife crime will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted at the highest levels," WCS regional director Emma Stokes said.
Richard Malonga, head of WCS Congo, which works directly with the Nouabale Ndoki park said the detention creates "opportunities to criminalize acts of poaching, and punish poachers even more severely."
Congolese judicial authorities have not yet commented on the ruling.
