Zimbabwe shows EU ambassadors stockpile of ivory tusks

Zimbabwe has sought international support to be allowed to sell its stockpile of seized ivory, saying the $600 million it expects to earn is urgently needed for the conservation of its rapidly growing elephant population.

The southern African nation opened a three-day international conference on Monday at Hwange National Park, the country's largest wildlife park, to try to win international support for its campaign to be allowed to sell its stockpile.

If Zimbabwe is not permitted to sell, officials warn it may quit the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES. Authorities have said they desperately need the funds from the sales of the ivory to manage the elephant population.

Zimbabwe’s estimated 100,000 elephants are double the carrying capacity of its national parks, say parks officials.

Emmanuel Fundira, Conservationist said “This is a success story where we have managed to grow our elephant population from where it was in the 70s, which was less than 5,000, to something which is more than 1,000 times more to where we sit today. That in itself demonstrates a success. But that success needs to be controlled one way or the other."

Southern African countries have twice been permitted to sell off their ivory stocks to Japan and China in 1997 and 2008 and those limited sales resulted in “a sharp escalation” in poaching across the continent, said the statement.