It is worth noting that Zambian ivory is not importable into the US at this point. Nonetheless, at least five of the above jumbo were taken last year by Americans hopeful of a change in US attitude toward Zambia's elephant management program. Conservation Force's John J. Jackson, III, who is handling all of the ivory import permit requests filed by Americans, says it is too early to know whether US imports will be approved. One complicating factor is the opposition by some in the Zambian hunting community to the opening of elephant.
It is unclear at this point how much of this internal opposition is due to genuine conviction (that is, the view that there are not enough large elephants in Zambia to justify a season) and how much is due to professional jealousy on the part of safari operators who don't have elephant on quota in their areas. At any rate, in an effort to lower the level of opposition to elephant hunting, the government of Zambia has taken the controversial step of putting half the elephant quota in each area up for auction among the operators who don't currently have elephants to offer their clients. It will be interesting indeed to see if some of the vociferous critics of elephant hunting in Zambia begin to change their tune.
Here at The Hunting Report, we find the opposition to elephant hunting in Zambia curious to say the least. Studies leading up to the opening of........(continued)
