African elephant populations have declined by more than 50%…
African elephant populations have declined by more than 50% over the past 20 years due mostly to the slaughter of these beautiful animals for their ivory tusks. Neither government bans on the hunting of these elephants nor a worldwide ban on the sale of ivory has been able to help increase elephant populations. A handful of African countries, however, established systems of private property rights over elephants—essentially assigning ownership of the elephants to individuals. a) Will this new system of private rights help to increase elephant populations? Explain why or why not. b) Will this new system eliminate elephant hunting (both legal and illegal)? Be sure to explain your reasoning.