At least 65,721 elephants were killed in Tanzania between 2009 and 2014, arguably one of the highest rates in two decades in Africa, largely to satisfy soaring demand among China’s growing middle class.
What you need to know:
On Friday, a Dar es Salaam court made a landmark ruling – condemning two Chinese poachers to 30 years in jail after they were found guilty of illegally possessing 706 elephant tusks. It is one of the heaviest sentences in recent times aimed at curbing the multi-billion dollar illegal trade.
