13 November 2014: Approximately $190,000 worth of ivory was seized in Cameroon, following a tip from an intelligence network supported by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) believes the tusks were in route to South East Asia.

IUCN reports that demand for ivory in South East Asia has contributed to a 60% decline in African forest elephants since 2001.

Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director of the IUCN Global Species Programme and Director of SOS – Save Our Species, highlighted that the success in Cameroon provides impetus for conservationists meeting at IUCN’s World Parks Congress to highlight the role that effective enforcement of protected areas plays in reducing wildlife crime. [IUCN News] [SOS Forest Elephants webpage] [IISD RS coverage of IUCN World Parks Congress]