Kenya was to set fire to more than 100 tons of ivory on Saturday in a move aimed at showing its commitment to saving Africa’s population of elephants. According to local media, President Uhuru Kenyatta would ignite the first of 11 huge pyres in Nairobi National Park, which are expected to burn for several days. The ivory represents nearly the entire stock confiscated by Kenya, amounting to the tusks of about 6,700 elephants, BBC reported. The burning comes after African leaders urged an end to illegal trade in ivory during a three-day Giants Club Summit in Kenyan capital Nairobi. But some disagree with the approach, saying it can encourage poaching. Some conservationists say destroying so much of a rare commodity could increase its value and encourage more poaching rather than less. Botswana, which is home to around half of Africa’s last four hundred thousand or so elephants, is opposed to the burn and its president will not attend the event at Nairobi National Park. Demand for ivory comes largely from Asia, with the main trafficking route being through the Kenyan port of Mombasa. Experts have warned Africa’s elephants could be extinct within decades.
