The importance of interpersonal communication in elephant conservation

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in Botswana. Photo: Charlesjsharp
January 21, 2018

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) populations continue to decline rapidly due to ivory poaching. A global debate within the conservation community has resulted in little progress on the policy front: some believe ivory trade should be banned, whereas others consider trade should be regulated to incentivize and fund elephant conservation. The result has been a deadlock on ivory policy that is ultimately hampering the greater goal of protecting elephants.

A recent article published in Science, “Breaking the deadlock on ivory”, offers a path forward. The authors translate conflict resolution models that have been successful in other areas (including climate change policy) into a framework that can be used by countries with wild elephant populations to develop workable solutions in a less confrontational manner. By mapping the stakeholders and applying iterative processes that recognize different value systems, the many political, socio-cultural, and ethical points of view can be navigated in a more productive manner.

Read the full articleBiggs, D., Holden, M. H., Braczkowski, A., Cook, C. N., Milner-Gulland, E. J., Phelps, J., … & Allan, J. (2017). Breaking the deadlock on ivory. Science358(6369), 1378-1381.


Gao Yufang, PhD student at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies / Yale Department of Anthropology and YIBS Grantee, is one of the authors of this paper. He has worked on stakeholder mapping and human-wildlife interactions, specifically in relation to China’s involvement in the ivory trade. Given the intricate system of ivory demand/supply, Gao considers all countries should work together to approach policies related to ivory and elephant conservation in a holistic manner.

More detalis of Gao’s work are featured in a recent interview with the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies: Solving the Ivory Deadlock

News & Updates

Eli Fenichel

Edward P. Bass Distinguished Lecture - Connecting Environment and Economy

November 15, 2023
Dear YIBS community, Please join us in attending the Edward P. Bass Distinguished Lecture: Connecting Environment and Economy.  Speaker: Eli Fenichel Date: Wednesday,...
Pincelli Hull (Photo by Dan Renzetti)

Yale Paleontologist Named a Schmidt Science Polymath Fellow

November 7, 2023
Yale paleontologist Pincelli Hull, whose research into ancient marine life and ocean ecosystems has led to new insights into long-ago mass extinction events and what they...
(© stock.adobe.com)

Fish, Reconsidered: An Updated ‘Tree of Life’ Draws Surprising Connections

October 30, 2023
In a major new work, Yale ichthyologist Thomas Near revises branches of the Tree of Life concerning most fish species based on the latest scientific knowledge. At first...