Posted on 10/16/2015 11:57:42 PM PDT by OrthodoxIndianCatholic
Part 1 :
Introduction :
Forest Elephants are found exclusively in Central Africa.
Gabon is situated in Central Africa.
The situation is very "grave" for forest elephants and their safety in many National Parks in Gabon but specially in Minkebe National Park and in Wonga Wongue Presidential Reserve.
Gabon's Minkebe National Park has lost numerous Forest Elephants consistently to "Ivory Poaching" since 2004. It is distressing to know that 11,000 Forest Elephants or more were slaughtered for their ivory in the last 10 years.
Recent Surveys of areas within the park revealed that two-thirds of its Forest Elephants have vanished since 2004.
It is estimated that 50-100 Forest Elephants are being slaughtered daily by Poachers for ivory in Minkebe.
Gabon's National Park Agency reported an uptick of poaching in Gabon in recent years including the 2011 slaughter of 27 Forest Elephants in Wonga Wongue Presidential Reserve.
This mass slaughter of Forest Elephants in Gabon deserves to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
Facts on Forest Elephants in Gabon :
Gabon contains over half of Africa's Forest Elephants with a population of more than 40,000.
Wild Forest Elephants can be seen strolling in patches of long golden grass between islands of forest at Wonga Wongue Presidential Reserve.
It is virtually impossible to observe these Forest Elephants at close quarters because poachers have made all the elephants wary of humans.
Knee- Deep in green wax leaved bushes, one can see dozens of Forest Elephants with the open blue sea and long white waves breaking behind them.
A Bull with spread out tusks, Females with calves picking fruit from the waxy plants and several half-grown youngsters playing in the sea can be seen at Wonga Wongue Reserve.
These Forest Elephants are certainly smaller than their Savannah Relatives with rounded smaller ears blown out by the wind.
Gabon's Forest Elephants are sadly hunted to the nth degree for Ivory and for Meat.
Part 2 :
Forest Elephants can still be found in large numbers at 5 National Parks in Gabon.
However, they are at the mercy of poachers.
1. Ivindo National Park :
Ivindo protects Langoue Bai and spectacular Kongou and Mingouli Falls on the Ivindo River.
Langoue Bai, the hidden clearing discovered by eminent wildlife conservationist and ecologist -- Mike Fay has concentrations of Forest Elephants that one can only dream of. It is a gathering place for hundreds of Forest Elephants that likely had never encountered humans.
A rare clearing in a sea of forest the mile long Langoue Bai was carved out by Forest Elephants digging in the mud.
The pristine Equatorial Rain Forest surrounding Langoue Bai in the upper Ivindo River harbors big tusked Forest Elephants like never seen before.
Early Observations by Conservationists at Langoue Bai indicate that Forest Elephants drawn to the "Forest Clearing" for succulent vegetation, water, and salt make some sort of seasonal migration away.
They disappear when the rains end.
Where have they gone ?? Our guess according to conservationists is that they come here during the dry season to the marshy, provident, flatlands of the Upper Djidji River.
It might be the last unprobed hideout of "Gabon's Biggest Tuskers".
2. Pongara National Park :
Gabon's most popular beach retreat features hotels, lodges, plus herds of forest elephants in plenty. They can be found in large numbers amidst forest clearings that encompass Pongara National Park.
3. Moukalaba - DouDou National Park :
Savanna descends from the DouDou Mountains to papyrus marshes Mon the Nyanga River, an oasis for Elephants in the dry season.
4. Mwagne National Park :
This is the site of the biggest bai or water hole clearing in Gabon. Mwagne supports bongos, otters, and a large population of forest elephants.
5. Minkebe National Park :
Engulfed by one of the biggest wilderness areas in Central Africa, Minkebe is renowned for its large granite domes known as "Inselbergs".
Minkebe was home to an estimated 20,000 Forest Elephants in 2004, but now only about 6,000 remain or less. Two thirds of Minkebe's Forest Elephants have been wiped out by rampant poaching.
The Minkebe Forest Block encompassing more than 12,500 square miles of North- Eastern Gabon represents one of the great zones of wilderness remaining in Central Africa.
Much of it and its Forest Elephants stand threatened by "Bush Meat Extraction" and Elephant Poaching for ivory.
Conclusion :
Only God can save Minkebe's Forest Elephants and their habitat as well as other Forest Elephants throughout the length and breadth of Gabon from wave after wave of rampant poaching.
The need of the hour is "Concerted Military Action" by the Gabonese Government against organized poacher gangs, so as to save the last remaining herds of Forest Elephants.
Before I end, I would like to say this that "Perched on the edge of the Congo River Basin, Gabon's Forests support some of the greatest numbers of species on the African Continent.
Awash with Life, Gabon has pledged to become a leading steward of "Biological Diversity".
It is our God given duty to help protect Gabon's Wildlife specially its Magnificent Forest Elephants.
"Let Them Never Ever Go Extinct".
Credits and References :
1. Gabon- Ground Zero for Forest Elephants.
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/02/24/gabon-ground-zero-for-forest-elephants/
2. National Geographic Magazine September 2003. Saving Africa's Eden by David Quammen Pages 50 - 68 Vol 204, N0- 3
3. National Geographic Magazine November 1980. Africa's Elephants - Can they survive ?? By Oria Douglas- Hamilton Pages 568-596 Vol 158, N0-- 5
4. We are condemning Forest Elephants by ignoring the evidence
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2015/jul/23/forest-elephants-evidence-science-species-ivory-crisis
Gabon is a country in Equatorial Africa or Central Africa. It is home to the last "Forest Elephant Herds" in Central Africa.
There are an estimated 60,000 Forest Elephants who inhabit "Tropical Rain Forests" in Gabon today.
This is the single largest population left in the wilds of Central Africa. They are being targeted by poachers now for their ivory.
However, the Government of Gabon is doing its best to protect them.
A Little about Gabon now and one of its best protected National Parks namely "Ivindo National Park".
Gabon is an "African Anomaly" in Central Africa. It is a prosperous, politically stable nation and the least densely populated country in Central Africa.
75% of Gabon remains covered in Tropical Rain Forests which are among the richest and most diverse on earth.
Ivindo National Park in Gabon is a "Gathering Place" for Hundreds of Forest Elephants that have hardly encountered humans.
Ivindo National Park is encompassed by the beautiful Kongou and Mingouli Falls on the Ivindo River.
Let us support the Government of Gabon in protecting Forest Elephants and in protecting the rich rain forests which is a veritable carbon sink for Forest Elephants.
Isn’t extinction natural?
A worthy post.
What do they want people to do?
You have to ask? They want more American money, and they want it right now!
Sweet! Let’s get the phone lines open now!
That is what I rather suspected. I just wanted someone to say it outloud.
How much is the ivory worth per animal? To save them, maybe we should breed and raise them for their ivory. We could hold them down and saw off the ivory without killing them. Win Win.
Sorry, I don’t live in Gabon and there’s no chance I might run into an elephant. Or maybe I might care.
Yours truly,
Bullish
Shouldn’t they be feeding all the elephants to the Cecil the Lions of the world?
I agree with you. Maybe science will someday produce an indistinguishable manmade ivory. I don’t care for any poachers.
Extinction via bullets isn’t
I’d like to read about efforts to revive those ancient mammoths...
Particularly the Columbian, Trump-supporting mammoths.
We desperately need their help to Make America Great Again!
The only things that need poaching are the poachers.
Some people just need killing.
As it was stated:
“Only God can save Minkebe’s Forest Elephants and their habitat as well as other Forest Elephants throughout the length and breadth of Gabon from wave after wave of rampant poaching. “
If so, why are you bothering US?
Why are you not wearing sackcloth and ashes, and fasting and fervently praying, IF you so believe ‘that only g_d can save them’?
Do tusks grow back?
We can probably synthesize it or something very similar to it.
Communist gubmint in Gabon? The poachers have to eat, just like the rest of us. So they avail themselves of what’s available. Isn’t communism beautiful?
I agree. We humans are not the only species that have a right to exist. Elephants are very intelligent. I would question the intelligence and righteousness of humans who would claim greed, avarice and devious motives are attributes that serve us.
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