African elephants: The effect of property rights and political stability

African elephant populations have declined by more? than 50% over the past 20 years, International outrage over the slaughter led to a worldwide ban o n ivory safes beginning in 1989, despite the objections of many economists and scientists, and of several southern African countries that have establi shed systems of property rights over elephants. Far from declining, elephan t populations in many of these countries have increased to levels at or abo ve the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. This article estimates the deter minants of changes in elephant populations in 35 African countries over sev eral time periods. The authors find that, controlling for other factors, co untries with property rights systems or community wildlife programs haw mor e rapid elephant population growth rates than do those countries that do no t. Political instability and the absence of representative governments sign ificantly lower elephant growth rates. (JEL O13,Q2).