Posted on 07/01/2015 11:58:42 PM PDT by OrthodoxIndianCatholic
Introduction :
It is extremely distressing to know what is happening in Africa these days specially since 2012 namely the mindless slaughter on an unprecedented scale of African Forest Elephants and Savannah Elephants from Kenya in East Africa to Gabon in Central Africa and from Gabon in Central Africa to Mozambique in South-East Africa.
Most African Countries seem to be quite indifferent about the plight of Elephants in their respective countries.
Facts regarding the mass slaughter of Elephants :
In countries like Kenya and Tanzania, African Savannah Elephants are slaughtered for their ivory by poachers on foot and from the air. In Tanzania in East Africa, 10,000 Elephants are killed each year for their ivory by organized poacher gangs.
In Gabon, in the Central African Republic, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in the Republic of the Congo more than 1,000 Elephants are slaughtered every year for their ivory in each of these countries.
Forest Elephants who are found exclusively in the Equatorial Rainforests of Central Africa and West Africa are facing a "Dire Crisis" as a result of widespread poaching over the last 10 years.
Their numbers have declined drastically from 200,000 in 2004 to less than 80,000 today. They are critically endangered specially in Gabon.
This unethical war on Africa's Elephants is getting from bad to worse with every passing day, week, and month primarily because of the skyrocketing price of Ivory in the International Illegal Market.
1 Kilo of Ivory is worth 1000 U.S. Dollars.
According to Dr. Mike Chase who is from the Botswana based "Elephants without Borders" or E.W.B. "Local Extinction" is a reality for many countries in Africa where poaching of elephants is rampant.
Good News regarding Elephant Herds:
However, there is a "Silver Lining" to every dark cloud even amidst the mass slaughter of Elephants in Africa.
There seems to be only "One Country" in Africa that is concerned about "Elephant Poaching". That Country is Botswana. For many years now, Botswana has been a pioneer in "Wildlife Conservation".
In particular, Botswana is a pioneer in "Elephant Conservation". The number of Elephants in Botswana speak for themselves. There are 130,000 African Elephants today in Botswana.
In this regard, Chobe National Park in Northern Botswana is a "Precious Jewel" as far as Elephant Conservation is concerned. Chobe National Park is truly "Elephant Country" and "Elephant Paradise" in more ways than one.
There are approximately 70,000-80,000 Elephants in Chobe National Park today. Chobe National Park is said to have the highest concentration of Elephants in Africa mainky due to tight restrictions on poaching.
In this connection, it must be said that Botswana is home to the largest remaining population of African Elephants in the world also called "Loxodonta Africana".
This is largely thanks to "Government Backed Conservation and Protection Programs" which means poaching in Botswana is the "Least" as compared to other African Countries.
Apart from Chobe National Park in Northern Botswana, the beautiful "Okavango Delta" plays host to 50,000 Elephants in the dry season. The wetlands of Botswana are a veritable stronghold of "Bush Elephants".
Botswana is an anomaly in Southern Africa. It is a relatively stable, peaceful, and prosperous country nestled between Namibia and the Republic of South Africa.
Botswana has emerged as a "Terrific and Peaceful Haven" for vast herds of Savannah Bush Elephants.
Conclusion :
Let us do our utmost in supporting the Government of Botswana in saving Bush Elephants from Organized Poacher Gangs and from Extinction.
I had originally posted this article @ my Global Wildlife Blog in 2014. It is as relevant now as it was then.
It seems to me that Botswana in the Southern African Archipelago is the only "safe haven" for Wild African Elephant Herds.
Elsewhere in Africa, Forest Elephants and Bush Elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory in unheard of proportions.
The situation is acute in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo to mention a few.
I strongly feel and strongly believe that Wildlife Lovers who have the money should visit Botswana now as the whole country is "Elephant Paradise".
Chobe National Park in Northern Botswana in particular is "Elephant Country" in more ways than one.
The Authorities in Botswana are extremely proactive with regard to Wildlife Conservation and in particular with regard to "Bush Elephant Conservation".
I hope that Botswana continues to remain a "refuge" for Bush Elephants for many years to come.
Note : From now on, I will be promoting African Elephant Conservation @ my blog.
My Next 3 articles @ my blog will be as follows:
1) Botswana - A Safe Haven for African Bush Elephants.
2) Help save Desert Elephants of the Northern Namib Desert from extinction.
3) Kalahari Bush Elephants - The Largest Elephants in the World.
I am sorry to hear this. I will pray about these animals to be kept safe and I hope anyone slaughtering them is prosecuted.
Sounds like PETA, and Sierra Club need to move to africa.
While I certainly don't want to see the wanton destruction of the elephants, have they blamed Bush yet?
Is it possible to adopt an elephant? We have a big back yard.
There’s an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee one can donate to. They take in the old circus, zoo and privately owned elephants. They have live cams, too.
If you want to see bull elephants and the occasional breeding herd in the wild, http://www.africam.com/wildlife/tembe_webcam has 24 hour live cams.
Africa. The cradle of civilization.
Well, that seems to be Africa’s problem. We have much greater problems here at home trying to keep America from becoming extinct.
Elephants are wonderful creatures and every measure should be taken to protect them.....
I was the seatmate to a safari hunt owner last year on a crosscountry flight. He confirmed what I had heard about elephants. In countries that have controlled licensed hunts, the elephant population is stable.
The safari guides assist the police and rangers in controlling poaching. To do otherwise would cost them money.
Last year, the US Government destroyed a huge pile of ivory worth over $20,000,000 that had been confiscated.
Complete waste. Now, had they held an auction and sold the goods, the $20,000,000 would have gone a long way toward curbing poaching and enforcing laws.
But no, the photo op of a steam roller crushing ivory is far more important.
And made the 'living ivory' all the more valuable, making poaching well worth the risk.
Speak it brother. I did have a passing thought of adopting one of those as a service pet. I’d like to take it to the liberal dumps around town.
Just for info, the savannah and forest elephants aren’t the ‘normal’ elephants hunted by sportsmen in Africa. Almost all the big safari companies have their own assistance programs to locate and eliminate poachers in their assigned areas, and they are quite diligent about it. The African Elephant is in no danger of being in short supply except in countries such as Kenya that don’t allow sport hunting. Think of it this way, if you were a midwest corn farmer, would it be to your advantage to have 15-20 elephants in your cropland? Would you feel different if you could guide hunters after them for $30-40000 apiece? Hunting elephants, lions, etc equals survival. I get a newsletter from Buzz Charlton, and they document their anti poaching activities, plus the fact that one pride of lions have killed several kids in the vicinity, these things still happen, so without hunting, elephants, lions, etc are a nuisance and are treated accordingly.
Not enough brain dead suckers in Africa to get money out of for either of those groups.
Please allow me to clarify your point. There are ample "brain dead suckers" in Africa. There is a shortage of rich brain dead suckers.
I stand corrected. Thank you!
Tusk,tusk.
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