As per a 2014 report by Wildlife Conservation Society:
"About 96 African elephants are killed for their tusks every day."
Most these elephants are poached for their tusks which is the source of ivory costing $2,100 USD per kg in 2014 in China. The skyrocketing prices of ivory render it as one of the most lucrative objects of trade in the black markets of the world, triggering the poaching of wild elephants for the illegal extraction of their tusks.
In Africa, where most countries are stricken by poverty, poaching of African elephants is widely prevalent, with 100,000 elephants being poached between 2010 and 2012.
Though the above facts do portray a grim picture of the future for the wise and majestic elephants of Africa, a small group of African entrepreneurs might be able to alter this picture with their brand new ventures.
The venture involves the making of paper from elephant dung! Yes, what you heard is absolutely true and it is also quite true that papers produced from elephant dung are also of high quality.
Today, around 17 firms are operating in Kenya that is involved in manufacturing paper from elephant dung. The Kenyan elephant poop generated paper industry is concentrated in the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary area which is an elephant conservation area near Mombasa in the Kenya.
How is paper made from elephant dung?
The elephant dung that is collected is a mixture of fibres, grasses and other plant matter. This is first thoroughly washed to remove the waste matter and the fibres are retained. The fibres are then boiled in a large vat for four hours to ensure it is completely decontaminated. The next steps in paper manufacture from elephant dung follows the usual steps of paper production from wood pulp. 50 kg of elephant dung helps to make nearly 125 sheets of paper. What is good news is, the paper so produced is of high quality and hence suitable for all types of use.
Benefits of using paper made from elephant dung?
Paper made from elephant dung is eco-friendly as it saves thousands of trees from being cut down for woodpulp extraction. It also holds potential to save the elephants of the world as the lure of the new industry will encourage the entrepreneurs and workers to save elephants from poachers for their own economic gains. The growth of the paper industry involving paper manufacture from elephant dung will thus provide a sustainable source of livelihood for the natives of Africa which will greatly benefit both man and elephants.
By Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA (Tarangire_2012 05 28_1848 Uploaded by Elitre) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Paper manufactured from elephant dung in at Kikoti Safari Camp, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Paper made from elephant dung: Notable examples from other parts of the world
The practice of paper manufacture from elephant dung is not only limited to Africa but has also been practiced on a small scale in India.
In 2003, two Delhi-based entrepreneurs, Mahima Mehra and Vijendra Shekhawat, founded the Haathi Chaap (in Hindi meaning the "elephant imprint"), a brand manufacturing paper from elephant poop in Rajasthan, India. Besides paper, Haathi Chaap also manufactures bags, frames, photo albums, notebooks and stationery items from elephant dung. Paper produced here was exported to Germany between 2003 and 2007 and in 2007, it was also launched in India.
Hopefully, these Kenyan and Indian ventures to make paper from elephant dung will flourish in the years to come, reducing our dependence on trees for paper as well as increasing our dependence on elephants, species whom we will need to save to ensure we get our papers right!
Here are the contact details of Haathi Chaap:
Website:
http://elephantpoopaper.com/contact.html
Here is the news link related to Kenyan paper manufacture from elephant dung:
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36162953
"About 96 African elephants are killed for their tusks every day."
Most these elephants are poached for their tusks which is the source of ivory costing $2,100 USD per kg in 2014 in China. The skyrocketing prices of ivory render it as one of the most lucrative objects of trade in the black markets of the world, triggering the poaching of wild elephants for the illegal extraction of their tusks.
In Africa, where most countries are stricken by poverty, poaching of African elephants is widely prevalent, with 100,000 elephants being poached between 2010 and 2012.
Photo: Butterflies on elephant dung
Though the above facts do portray a grim picture of the future for the wise and majestic elephants of Africa, a small group of African entrepreneurs might be able to alter this picture with their brand new ventures.
The venture involves the making of paper from elephant dung! Yes, what you heard is absolutely true and it is also quite true that papers produced from elephant dung are also of high quality.
Today, around 17 firms are operating in Kenya that is involved in manufacturing paper from elephant dung. The Kenyan elephant poop generated paper industry is concentrated in the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary area which is an elephant conservation area near Mombasa in the Kenya.
![By Y k izumi. (Own work.) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paper_made_from_processed_elephant_dung.jpg){kind=link}
How is paper made from elephant dung?
The elephant dung that is collected is a mixture of fibres, grasses and other plant matter. This is first thoroughly washed to remove the waste matter and the fibres are retained. The fibres are then boiled in a large vat for four hours to ensure it is completely decontaminated. The next steps in paper manufacture from elephant dung follows the usual steps of paper production from wood pulp. 50 kg of elephant dung helps to make nearly 125 sheets of paper. What is good news is, the paper so produced is of high quality and hence suitable for all types of use.
![By Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA (Tarangire_2012 05 28_1857 Uploaded by Elitre) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tarangire_2012_05_28_1857_(7468541116).jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Greeting card made from elephant dung
Benefits of using paper made from elephant dung?
Paper made from elephant dung is eco-friendly as it saves thousands of trees from being cut down for woodpulp extraction. It also holds potential to save the elephants of the world as the lure of the new industry will encourage the entrepreneurs and workers to save elephants from poachers for their own economic gains. The growth of the paper industry involving paper manufacture from elephant dung will thus provide a sustainable source of livelihood for the natives of Africa which will greatly benefit both man and elephants.
By Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA (Tarangire_2012 05 28_1848 Uploaded by Elitre) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
![By Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA (Tarangire_2012 05 28_1848 Uploaded by Elitre) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tarangire_2012_05_28_1848_(7468544618).jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Paper manufactured from elephant dung in at Kikoti Safari Camp, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Paper made from elephant dung: Notable examples from other parts of the world
The practice of paper manufacture from elephant dung is not only limited to Africa but has also been practiced on a small scale in India.
In 2003, two Delhi-based entrepreneurs, Mahima Mehra and Vijendra Shekhawat, founded the Haathi Chaap (in Hindi meaning the "elephant imprint"), a brand manufacturing paper from elephant poop in Rajasthan, India. Besides paper, Haathi Chaap also manufactures bags, frames, photo albums, notebooks and stationery items from elephant dung. Paper produced here was exported to Germany between 2003 and 2007 and in 2007, it was also launched in India.
Hopefully, these Kenyan and Indian ventures to make paper from elephant dung will flourish in the years to come, reducing our dependence on trees for paper as well as increasing our dependence on elephants, species whom we will need to save to ensure we get our papers right!
Here are the contact details of Haathi Chaap:
Website:
http://elephantpoopaper.com/contact.html
Here is the news link related to Kenyan paper manufacture from elephant dung:
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36162953
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