UWA Allows Export of Questionable Teeth |
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| The Ugandan Wildlife Authority
(UWA) has allowed Kampala-based animal trader, Smith Ewa Maku, to export
5 tons of hippo teeth that had previously been confiscated. The teeth were
seized in mid-2001 on the grounds that they violated a hunting ban that had
been in place since 1986. However, Maku managed to convince the UWA that
he had been in possession of the teeth for more than 20 years. This claim
met with skepticism by many environmentalists as the teeth had not yellowed
over so much time.
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Nevertheless, UWA agreed, returned the
teeth, and allowed the export. Hippo teeth can be more than 60 cm (24 inches
long) and are carvable. With the international ban on elephant ivory, hippo
teeth have become a common substtute. Authorities believe approximately 2000
hippos were killed to collect teeth. Today African elephants outnumber hippos
by about 3 to 1.
Source: New Vision (via Allafrica.com)
- April 2, 2002 For a related story, please see: Five Tons of Hippo Teeth Seized in Uganda |
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