Chairman's report: African Elephant Specialist Group/Rapport de la presidente: Groupe des specialistes des elephants africains

Abstract

Recent aerial surveys in Mozambique confirmed the Niassa region with a estimated population of 8,707+/-1937 is an important elephant location in southern Africa. Notes the ongoing work reviewed in the February 1999 AfESG meeting in Abidjan, and the near completion of the forthcoming issue of the AED (out of 37 range states 32 have updated population figures and 3, Sudan, Sierra Leone and Congo have no estimates). Notes that the 41st CITES Standing Committee decision regarding one-off trade in ivory from Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe went ahead as planned and that both the Illegal killing of elephants (MIKE) and the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) are now operative.