The last elephant standing

The last elephant standing

Mr Jacob is the first man in Mozambique that obtained a forestall concession for fauna conservation; it consist in 35000 hectares in the Querimbas National Park of bush, forest and wild life where he built few cottages for touristic purposes. But  Mozambique is loosing the war against poachers . Untill September 2013 an elephant was visiting Jacob camp every morning. When he was killed the poachers left the head of the animal in the middle of the road that reach Jacob camp as an advise. The WWF calculate that the number of elephant poached in Mozambique in 2013 is more than 2500. In the last 14 months 85 elephants were killed in Jacob reserve. Mr Jacob has Kenyan origins, his father and his grandfather were professional hunters, he decide to change the destiny of his family and to start to protect the animals. He moved to Mozambique during the civil war and just after he obtained the forestall concession, the elephant population  was growing again. But in the last  years a new market emerged in Mozambique: the Ivory Market.  The buyers of Ivory are mostly Chinese and Vietnamese but the poachers are from African country and they  are now equipped with helicopters registered in the Comoros island, automatic weapons and have a military training. The rangers of Mr Jacob have just an old Russian rifle from II World War.  The last year has been the worst. The  poachers now  hunt babies for meat. What is remaining in Jacob concession is just his elephant skeleton heads collection.

by contributor Tommaso Rada

Mr Jacob is the first man in Mozambique that obtained a forestall concession for fauna conservation; it consist in 35000 hectares in the Querimbas National Park of bush, forest and wild life where he built few cottages for touristic purposes. But  Mozambique is loosing the war against poachers . Untill September 2013 an elephant was visiting Jacob camp every morning. When he was killed the poachers left the head of the animal in the middle of the road that reach Jacob camp as an advise. The WWF calculate that the number of elephant poached in Mozambique in 2013 is more than 2500. In the last 14 months 85 elephants were killed in Jacob reserve. Mr Jacob has Kenyan origins, his father and his grandfather were professional hunters, he decide to change the destiny of his family and to start to protect the animals. He moved to Mozambique during the civil war and just after he obtained the forestall concession, the elephant population  was growing again. But in the last  years a new market emerged in Mozambique: the Ivory Market.  The buyers of Ivory are mostly Chinese and Vietnamese but the poachers are from African country and they  are now equipped with helicopters registered in the Comoros island, automatic weapons and have a military training. The rangers of Mr Jacob have just an old Russian rifle from II World War.  The last year has been the worst. The  poachers now  hunt babies for meat. What is remaining in Jacob concession is just his elephant skeleton heads collection.

Mr Jacob J. Von Landsberg looking at his conservation forest concession. The forestall concession of Mr. Jacob J. Von Landsberg is 4 hours far from Pemba in the north of Mozambique, and the place once was the sanctuary of Mozambican Elephant. Ivory sold in Maputo. Despite the selling of "fresh" ivory is illegal, in the hand craft market of Maputo is easy to find Ivory. Buyers come from South Africa to buy it. Mr Jacob sadly looks at the bones of an adult elephant poached. Until September 2013 an elephant was visiting Mr. Jacob Camp every morning; when he was killed, the poachers left the head of the animal in the middle of the road that reach his camp as an advise. Mr Jacob ,that owns a conservation forestal concession, while pushing a orphan baby elephant to a place with food and water. The young elephants without the guidance of the adults very often die of starvation. The last elephant poached in Mr Jacob conservation forestall concession. The young elephant has been killed at the beginning of October 2013. The WWF calculate that the number of elephants poached in Mozambique in 2013 were more than 2500. An orphan young elephant walk in Mr Jacob forestal concession. Since the parents were killed and now without guidance he is risking to die of starvation. Mr Jacob that is the owner of a conservation forestal concession organize a group of workers to rescue a orphan baby elephant The ears of a baby elephant left on the ground by poachers. While the big elephant are hunted for the ivory the small one are killed for the meat. Mr Jacob stand in front of his collection of elephant's skeletons, the results of poaching. In 2013 85 elephant were killed in Mr Jacob Reserve. A view of the beginning of Mr. Jacob J. Von Landsberg forestall concession consisting in in 35000 hectares insede the Querimbas National Park. A Jacob rangers (Dinis Aly) looks at the concession. While poachers use AK57 and helicopters, Jacob rangers have just one old russian World War II rifle. Jacob made the request to the government to obtain automatic weapons but it was refused. At the camp Mr Jacob collects the skeletons of the elephant poached in his forestal concession. In 2013 85 elephant were killed in Mr Jacob Reserve. A group of oriental searching for Ivory in the hand craft market of Maputo. Despite the selling of "fresh" ivory is illegal, in the hand craft market of Maputo is easy to find Ivory. Buyers come from South Africa to buy it. Meat of elephant sold in Pemba. The selling is illigal. The owner of a conservation forestal concession, Mr Jacob, shows the footprint of a large elephant that passed throught his propriety. He is warried that the animal will be the next victim of poaching. There are almost no more adult elephants in the Querimbas National Park. Mr Jacob is the first man in Mozambique that obtained a forestall concession for fauna conservation Wild life animal meat sold in Pemba. Despite the selling of wild life animal meat is illegal, it is quite easy to find in the main street of Pemba, just outside the airport. A view of Mr Jacob forest concession that consist in 35000 hectares in the Querimbas National Park of bush, forest and wild life where he built few cottages for touristic purposes.