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The Trump administration says we have to kill elephants to help save them. The data says otherwise.
MSN / Washington Post ^ | November 17, 2017

Posted on 11/17/2017 3:14:54 PM PST by SMGFan

Supporters of trophy hunting say that permit fees from the practice, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars in the case of large game like elephants, can be put toward conservation efforts that help bolster the populations of endangered animals.

In part, that's the logic behind the Trump administration's reversal of an Obama-era ban on importing African elephant trophies from Zimbabwe.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has made a finding that the killing of African elephant trophy animals in Zimbabwe, on or after January 21, 2016, and on or before December 31, 2018, will enhance the survival of the African elephant,” according to a notice posted Friday in the federal register. But if the logic of killing elephants to save them strikes you as questionable, you're not alone

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
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To: DoughtyOne

Leave the damned elephants alone, and offer up some financial aide to replace the money that would have been raised by collecting trophies.

In conjunction, offer up rewards for “poacher pelts”.


When the elephants are not worth anything to the local people, who view them as pests, the elephants go away and the local poachers become heroes.

That is the result of the policies you advocate.

Elephants breed to overpopulate the available habitat.

Either the government kills them, which costs money, sport hunters kill them, which brings in money, or poachers kill them, which wastes most of the elephant.

Those are your choices.


41 posted on 11/17/2017 4:19:08 PM PST by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: MileHi

I won’t argue with that, but these animals need to be respected in the wild to exist as they wish, not as we do.

These aren’t like dogs, easily domesticated. I do acknowledge that some nations do this to a certain extent though.

You see, these elephants have something akin to families. They travel in tribes. In many instance they travel many miles seasonally.

I don’t want to see single elephants singled out to live a life in captivity, not with their traditional tribal relations.

Whether they are sentient beings or not, they do operate on some level socially. Why should man disregard that and break up their social setting?

This is part of the reason why I don’t want want people to be able to take them out one by one. Each death affects others in the group.

Now maybe the way to get around that is to support tour groups that get to go out and observe the elephants in their natural habitat.

I would be glad to support that.

I appreciate your note.


42 posted on 11/17/2017 4:19:21 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell / Ryan: Why pass Cons legislation when we can pass Leftist legislation for Leftists?)
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To: heights

I wouldn’t be surprised.

I just posted above this with further comments.


43 posted on 11/17/2017 4:20:02 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell / Ryan: Why pass Cons legislation when we can pass Leftist legislation for Leftists?)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

Start having a little respect for God’s creation.


44 posted on 11/17/2017 4:21:29 PM PST by Bogie
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To: LukeL

Nearly half the population of the US uses resources and contrbutes only negative value to society


45 posted on 11/17/2017 4:22:57 PM PST by dsrtsage (One half of all people have below average IQ. In the US the number is 54%)
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To: marktwain

With the wide open tundra with thousands of miles of open range, it seems rather strange to talk about limited resources.

It’s not arguable that they are infringing on local habitat to hurt local residents either, because they do migrate over long distances each year.

They can also be relocated if they do overpopulate one area.

Look at our nation. We had buffalo herds across the midwest that looked like a flowing river. Today we have very few left. What a shame.


46 posted on 11/17/2017 4:23:50 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell / Ryan: Why pass Cons legislation when we can pass Leftist legislation for Leftists?)
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To: LukeL

Damn, I hope that mindset doesn’t trickle down to humans!


47 posted on 11/17/2017 4:26:28 PM PST by ilovesarah2012
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To: erlayman

Poachers are around everywhere anyways.


48 posted on 11/17/2017 4:28:23 PM PST by jospehm20
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To: SMGFan

I didn’t know we had elephants in the U.S under Trump’s control. I thought they were in Zimbabwe or somewhere and they set the policies about hunting them.

Seriously though, if it’s legal to hunt them, the hunter should be allowed to have a trophy.


49 posted on 11/17/2017 4:30:06 PM PST by libertylover (Kurt Schlicter: "They wonder why they got Trump. They are why they got Trump")
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To: LukeL

As I understand it, it really isn’t that so much as the odd rogue bull who won’t play nice with people or other elephants.

Elephants are highly social critters and the elderly are normally their leaders. Killing them just because they are old would definitely adversely affect the herds.


50 posted on 11/17/2017 4:31:10 PM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: Mr. K

Then the President should have rejected their request.

I’m a conservative, but I’m also someone who loves wildlife and this action by our government is very troubling to me.

And I don’t buy this argument that allowing them to be hunted without restriction makes them safer.

Why can’t we ever have a Republican president, who wants to preserve our national treasures in nature?

Why is it always liberal Democrats that seem to care about these issues is the most?


51 posted on 11/17/2017 4:33:05 PM PST by Southnsoul
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To: DoughtyOne; All

“With the wide open tundra with thousands of miles of open range, it seems rather strange to talk about limited resources.”


You are kidding, right? Elephants cannot live on tundra.

“It’s not arguable that they are infringing on local habitat to hurt local residents either, because they do migrate over long distances each year.”


That is not a rational statement. There are local residents everywhere. Elephant habitat has shrunk enormously since 1900.

“They can also be relocated if they do overpopulate one area.”


Nope. No place to put them.

“Look at our nation. We had buffalo herds across the midwest that looked like a flowing river. Today we have very few left. What a shame.”


The buffalo herds have been replaced by people, cattle, and White Tailed deer. If you want those buffalo herds back, you will need to decrease the U.S. population by 90%.

Sport hunters are what are keeping African Elephants with some habitat to survive in. It makes marginal land profitable for elephants. Make them only a pest, and they will be wiped out.


52 posted on 11/17/2017 4:33:23 PM PST by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: Rurudyne

However often in herds the eldest or alpha male gets to mate with all the females (unsure of elephants but in a lion pride this is the norm) If this male is not fertile the pack will die out unless a stronger younger male challenges for leadership.


53 posted on 11/17/2017 4:37:05 PM PST by LukeL
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To: conservative98

Which you are required to purchase a tag for, which in turn goes towards conservation....

Ipso facto....


54 posted on 11/17/2017 4:44:00 PM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: Southnsoul

“Why can’t we ever have a Republican president, who wants to preserve our national treasures in nature?”

Those national treasures are in Africa. The problem with Africa is it’s full of Africans. They don’t care for each other’s lives much less the elephants.


55 posted on 11/17/2017 4:44:47 PM PST by Electric Graffiti (Obama voters killed America...Treat them accordingly.)
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To: Southnsoul

Regarding politics not, Noah is on your side.


56 posted on 11/17/2017 4:45:18 PM PST by Bogie
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To: Southnsoul

Would you be in favor of sending troops to protect the elephants?


57 posted on 11/17/2017 4:46:11 PM PST by Electric Graffiti (Obama voters killed America...Treat them accordingly.)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

It works really well in Kenya, doesn’t it?


58 posted on 11/17/2017 4:48:00 PM PST by Glennb51
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To: LukeL

Or controlling the population through birth control like they are trying in South Africa.

https://www.popsci.com/blog-network/ladybits/wild-contraception-beyond-happy-ending

Wild Contraception: Beyond a Happy Ending


59 posted on 11/17/2017 5:11:26 PM PST by erlayman (yw)
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To: Southnsoul

are you aware that the population of elephants went down 30% after obama signed that law to ‘protect’ them?

and that is why they requested trump to cancel it?


60 posted on 11/17/2017 5:11:44 PM PST by Mr. K (NO CONSEQUENCE OF OBAMACARE REPEAL IS WORSE THAN OBAMACARE ITSELF)
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