afrol News, 27 April - Two East African men arrested on Saturday for being in possession of about 700kg of Elephant Tusks have pleaded guilty in a Kenyan court today.

The two men, a Kenyan and a Tanzanian, were arrested at the weekend following a tip-off that resulted in what was believed to be the largest seizure of illegal ivory in recent years, according to a Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) official. A total of 33 whole tusks and 57 pieces of tusk were found, but according to KWS officials investigations on the origins of the haul were still continuing.

Wildlife experts believe that from the mass of the haul seized, more than 70 elephants could have been killed, though the tusks were reported to appear to be old.

The men face up to a one year jail term and a fine of up to 10,000 shillings (about $125).

Kenya's elephant population is reported to have grown from about 16,000 to 27,000 since the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), banned the ivory trade in 1989.

But, according to officials, the number is far much less than the estimated 167,000 elephants that lived in Kenya in 1973, before poaching devastated the country's herds.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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