CITES bans zoo trade in African elephants

[Loxodonta Cobra]

With the backing of the EU, CITES has enforced a near-total ban on importing African elephants to zoos outside of Africa. According to the BBC post, they can only be exported under "exceptional circumstances" and must be approved by a member committee.
Near-total ban imposed on sending wild African elephants to zoos
Global trade in baby elephants for zoos banned

 

[Great Argus]

Means the current population needs to be bred with long-term management forefront... especially with such a slow reproducing species...

Also don't like this...
"Humane Society International said it was "celebrating a momentous win".

"Despite compromise language being introduced by the EU, we are relieved by its passing," said Audrey Delsink, the group's Africa wildlife director.

She said the highly sociable animals found separations "incredibly traumatising"'

Lot of very distinct anti-zoo in the second article...

 

[AmbikaFan]

I think this turned out very well. The EU loophole means that elephants from culls, etc may be relocated to captive facilities if it's done in the interest of conserving/propogating the species. What it forbids is export for profit--100 calves to China and the like. It also means that African elephants may still be exchanged between zoos, a possible restriction I hadn't known was even on the table. I don't think this will affect the kind of imports we've had from Swaziland, etc. Or, to look at it another way, no elephants may leave their range countries except those in circumstances like the US elephants. That's a good thing.

HOWEVER, right there hiding in plain sight in the second article is truly bad news:. Botswana has lifted its ban on trophy hunting of elephants. While the world was distracted with the import/export of living elephants for their welfare under CITES, a vital range country has just said it's fine for visitors to come, pay, and export dead elephants they have just killed. This must be what it means to "throw the baby out with the bathwater......"

 

[Great Argus]

This ban is being widely hailed as a major victory by many groups that generally oppose zoos. Seen several places where they are quoted as being 'disappointed that it did not completely ban the trade in elephants' (paraphrased).

I agree with many of the reasons behind the ban. I also agree the changes they made were good. However I hope that it does not start a domino with other species and/or become a total ban, slowly leading to our beloved zoos themselves becoming extinct.