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At the Visa Pour l’Image festival for photojournalism in...

At the Visa Pour l’Image festival for photojournalism in...

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Brent Stirton presents the exhibition "Ivory Wars" at Visa Pour l'Image in Perpignan, France.


LRA defector with poached ivory. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)


Newborn elephant in Chad. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

At the Visa Pour l’Image festival for photojournalism in Perpignan, France, Getty Images photographer Brent Stirton (above) presented his exhibition “Ivory Wars,” about the connection between Africa’s terror groups and the illegal ivory trade.

Africa’s elephants have long been vulnerable to hunters in pursuit of ivory. In recent years, several of the continent’s terrorist groups have turned to poaching as a source of funding: the border-hopping Lord’s Resistance Army, the Seleka of the Central African Republic, the Janjaweed of Sudan, and FDLR rebels inside Virunga National Park. This reportage shows the toll of the violence on the elephants, the surrounding communities, and the brave but meager forces charged with protecting the creatures

See more images from this portfolio on the Reportage website.