The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has yet to release the elephant ivory poaching statistics for 2017.

Last week, environment Journalist, Tony Carnie raised concern on the delay of the elephant poaching statistics .“SA National Parks has refused to provide statistics on how many elephants have been poached in the Kruger National Park this year, referring queries instead to the national Department of Environmental Affairs,” he wrote.

The last recorded statistics from the DEA were sent out in February, covered the last four months of 2016. These statistics reported that since January, 36 elephants have been poached in the Kruger. 

“The refusal to release these statistics follows a sharp increase in elephant poaching in the northern section of the Kruger National Park, where at least 80 elephants have been killed since early 2015 – the highest levels in more than three decade,” writes Carnie.

Tourism Update reached out to the Department requesting the statistics a week ago and to date has not received any comment or statistics.