11,000 Elephants Slaughtered in African Forest

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11,000 Elephants Slaughtered in African Forest

(Warning: Above story contains graphic picture)

"Our worst nightmare for elephants is coming true in Gabon, and for those of us on the ground the figure of 11,000 lost in a decade comes as no surprise at all."

Gabon’s Minkebe National Park, once home to Africa’s largest forest elephant population, has lost 11,100 individuals to the illegal ivory trade in recent years, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced this week. (See National Geographic images of the elusive forest elephant.) Surveys suggest that one in every three elephants in what was once a sanctuary for forest elephants has been taken for ivory trinkets.“This sad news from Gabon confirms that without a global commitment, great elephant populations will soon become a thing of the past,” said WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper, in a WCS news release. “We believe that elephants can still be saved—but only if nations greatly increase their efforts to stop poaching while eliminating the illegal ivory trade through better enforcement and reduced demand.” According to WCS, a significant increase in human activity in Minkebe and its buffer zone was detected 18 months ago. “A small camp of 300 artisanal gold miners had expanded to over 5,000 miners, poachers, and arms and drugs dealers. Park authorities estimated that 50-100 elephants were being killed daily as a result of increases in demand for ivory from the Far East and resulting price hike.”
  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Isn't this a FELONY even in the WILD, and that much more so in a sanctuary?

    SERIOUSLY, they should ENFORCE the laws!

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Feeding the stupid, old ideas of "potency" and "value" for the Far East?

      No, won't watch the video - things like that happen, but I don't have to watch them.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        Feeding the stupid, old ideas of "potency" and "value" for the Far East?

        No, won't watch the video - things like that happen, but I don't have to watch them.
        Actually, the quote in the OP implies they are talking about the old art of scrimshaw. So this has a bigger market than the orient and much is art, as well as eastern medicine, etc....

        As I recall, some countries, including the US, FORBID trade in such things.

        Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author Kurt
      Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      Isn't this a FELONY even in the WILD, and that much more so in a sanctuary?

      SERIOUSLY, they should ENFORCE the laws!

      Steve
      They have NO MONEY to enforce the laws! And I don't see your butt volunteering.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

        They have NO MONEY to enforce the laws! And I don't see your butt volunteering.
        Well, my butt doesn't speak for me, and I doubt anyone would support me over there, so YEAH, I am not going to go THOUSANDS of miles, etc... to do this. Since YOU suggested it, why don't YOU go?

        Steve
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        • Profile picture of the author Kurt
          Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

          Well, my butt doesn't speak for me, and I doubt anyone would support me over there, so YEAH, I am not going to go THOUSANDS of miles, etc... to do this. Since YOU suggested it, why don't YOU go?

          Steve
          I see I need to slow down again so you can keep up. The reason I said I don't see you volunteering is because ***YOU*** posted that they need to enforce the laws.

          It was *****YOU***** that suggested it. I merely stated that ***YOU*** should do what ***YOU**** demanded of others.

          They don't enforce the laws because they don't have the money. Get it this time?
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I can't watch it but believe that anyone caught in the act of slaughtering animals like this should be shot on sight. They should keep officials in the bush and just wax anyone who points a gun at one of these creatures.
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    • Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      Feeding the stupid, old ideas of "potency" and "value" for the Far East?

      No, won't watch the video - things like that happen, but I don't have to watch them.
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      I can't watch it but believe that anyone caught in the act of slaughtering animals like this should be shot on sight. They should keep officials in the bush and just wax anyone who points a gun at one of these creatures.
      There is no video to this story, but there is one picture of a slaughtered Elephant that some may find disturbing - or like me, it made me sad and mad at the same time (there are only two pics in this article) what is most shocking is that there is a camp of an estimated 5000 people engaging in this trade they seemingly cannot stop due to lack of funds? In a game preserve set up to protect elephants? Crazy - sometimes an estimate of 50-100 elephants per day? That's a lot of elephants being taken for no good reason.

      When I saw the headline, I was shocked by the numbers they are getting away with. Do we have to protect animals with armies now? And yes, anyone caught in this act should be dealt with severely. And the peoples on the receiving end need to be dealt with also.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post


        When I saw the headline, I was shocked by the numbers they are getting away with. Do we have protect animals with armies now? And yes, anyone caught in this act should be dealt with severely. And the peoples on the receiving end need to be dealt with also.
        Speaking of which...I just saw a commercial on Animal Planet about a new show that should premiere in about a month.

        It's about four ex-US military guys that are armed and ready to shoot poachers on sight. It's called "Rhino Wars" and these guys didn't look like they were messing around. Looks like the hunters are ready to become the hunted.
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        • Profile picture of the author HeySal
          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          Speaking of which...I just saw a commercial on Animal Planet about a new show that should premiere in about a month.

          It's about four ex-US military guys that are armed and ready to shoot poachers on sight. It's called "Rhino Wars" and these guys didn't look like they were messing around. Looks like the hunters are ready to become the hunted.
          I saw that. Pretty neat. Right now we're in a major extinction - if poachers are allowed to wipe these animals out, that system might crash and we can't afford any more of them to crash. 500 poachers in one place shouldn't be "we don't have funds - it should be military to go take them out -- even if they have to ask for help from another country's military. We can devaste countries for oil - but we can't take out a bunch of idiots that are an extreme danger to our global ecology.
          Why am I not able to get my head around this concept?
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          • Profile picture of the author Kurt
            Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

            I saw that. Pretty neat. Right now we're in a major extinction - if poachers are allowed to wipe these animals out, that system might crash and we can't afford any more of them to crash. 500 poachers in one place shouldn't be "we don't have funds - it should be military to go take them out -- even if they have to ask for help from another country's military. We can devaste countries for oil - but we can't take out a bunch of idiots that are an extreme danger to our global ecology.
            Why am I not able to get my head around this concept?
            I agree. I would like our tax dollars to be spent on protecting wild life everywhere. But not everyone agrees with me and someone still has to foot the bill. And it isn't a case of "we don't have the funds", it's a case of Gabon not having the funds.

            Rhino Wars takes place in South Africa, which has more money than other African counties. The Whale Wars guys do a good job and get some decent private funding, but they fight their war in the open seas, not in sovereign countries.

            Other strategies include toughening up on wildlife smuggling around the World. The penalties for getting caught in many places are either a joke or non-existent.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Here is what US customs says:

    Endangered wildlife species, and products made from them, generally may not be imported or exported. You will need a permit from the FWS to import virtually all types of ivory, unless it is from a warthog. The FWS has many restrictions and prohibitions on various kinds of ivory - Asian elephant, African elephant, whale, rhinoceros, seal, pre-Endangered Species Act, post-CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and many others - and urge you to contact them before you acquire ivory in a foreign country. You may contact the Management Authority at 1-800-358-2104. Pressing Option 3 will provide you with general information, and Option 4 will connect you to the permits section. You can also get information on permits. ( U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Permits )

    You may import an object made of ivory if it is an antique. To be an antique the ivory must be at least 100 years old. You will need documentation that authenticates the age of the ivory. You may import other antiques containing wildlife parts with the same condition, but they must be accompanied by documentation proving they are at least 100 years old. Certain other requirements for antiques may apply.
    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
    Not so sure this thing will disappear. Western Europe, North America and Australasia may be bothered by these things but no one else is.

    Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    Those poachers aren't villains who deserve to be killed. They are poor people trying to better themselves with one of the few opportunities presented to them. The only way I can see the poaching being stopped is to harvest the rhino horn, ivory, etc. from the animals in a humane way and use the money to finance the animal preservations.

    I realize this is a far from perfect solution, but shooting at poachers will do nothing but increase the demand for goods and get a few ex-military guys killed for their efforts.

    Poachers can shoot back. They know the terrain, are used to shooting at moving targets and are a hell of a lot hungrier than a gang of yankee do-gooders.
    There are LOTS of opportunities. They do this because it is easy, and nobody is enforcing anything. And HW can you kill a rhino without killing him. I mean if you take the horn, you might as well kill them. You do NOT declaw a lion, or even immasculate a rooster, and release them in the wild.

    So NOPE, there is ********NO******** humane way to harvest, and never will be. It is part of what the creature is. They will use it. If it isn't there, they may fail to procreate or lose a challenge or fall victim to a predator. Harvesting that humanely makes about as much sense as chopping a persons hand off for SPORT!

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    Those poachers aren't villains who deserve to be killed. They are poor people trying to better themselves with one of the few opportunities presented to them. The only way I can see the poaching being stopped is to harvest the rhino horn, ivory, etc. from the animals in a humane way and use the money to finance the animal preservations.

    I realize this is a far from perfect solution, but shooting at poachers will do nothing but increase the demand for goods and get a few ex-military guys killed for their efforts.

    Poachers can shoot back. They know the terrain, are used to shooting at moving targets and are a hell of a lot hungrier than a gang of yankee do-gooders.
    Yeah poachers can shoot back - the animals can't. We can. When someone is a danger to the whole savannah ecosystems, they need to be stopped whether they are poor or rich. The whole globe will suffer if that ecosystem crashes - it will start a chain reaction that nobody will be able to stop - understand that. That is one of the ecosystems that many scientists are taking great pains to preserve and restore for a reason. Just because someone is needy it does NOT give them the right to cause such major destruction and risk the chain reaction fall of every freaking ecosystem on the planet. That's nuts.

    Be careful who you bleed for. If you bleed for the wrong people - you will find yourself needing one hell of a lot of blood to go around.
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    Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    Those poachers aren't villains who deserve to be killed. They are poor people trying to better themselves with one of the few opportunities presented to them. The only way I can see the poaching being stopped is to harvest the rhino horn, ivory, etc. from the animals in a humane way and use the money to finance the animal preservations.

    I realize this is a far from perfect solution, but shooting at poachers will do nothing but increase the demand for goods and get a few ex-military guys killed for their efforts.

    Poachers can shoot back. They know the terrain, are used to shooting at moving targets and are a hell of a lot hungrier than a gang of yankee do-gooders.
    They are stealing natural treasure, as well as national treasure, and are stealing from other poor people in their areas. Those animals could be the foundation for eco-tourism. And they are stealing "things" that once gone, are gone forever, stealing from all the generations to come.

    If they are so poor, they would be taking the meat with them, as many poachers do.

    And my money is on the hunters trained to hunt and kill people, not animals.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sue McDonald
    This is not only a problem for Africa but it is also a problem for the rest of the world. You are asking why? There are still places were they allow hunting of elephants.

    Tanzania still
    gives permits for elephant hunting despite the falling numbers. This is a great problem and this is where corruption is rife. They are charging between $10,000 to $25,000 for hunting permits. How can you hunt such magnificent creatures?

    The people are expanding into elephant territory to farm their crops and if an elephant comes near those crops the elephant is killed.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Kurt,

    You are great with twisting my words, throwing more at me, and then claiming I never understood what you said! I am not them, and I am not even a citizen of such a country. They DO have people paid to enforce laws. And I wasn't demanding. I am not even in any position to. I was stating emphatically. There is a difference. Heck, this world will be destroyed. I guess if I am not around to see the final pangs, I don't care. I will merely be sad and disgusted.

    If I lived there, and saw one poaching, you can bet that I WOULD be dead set against it and try to stop it.

    Sue mcdonald,

    WOW, I had no idea they were giving out permits. Of course they should NOT apply to reserves, and the charge of $10,000-$25,000 makes it clear that the shooters are NOT poor. I ASSUME that the permits are per person.

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author Kurt
      Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      Kurt,

      You are great with twisting my words, throwing more at me, and then claiming I never understood what you said! I am not them, and I am not even a citizen of such a country. They DO have people paid to enforce laws. And I wasn't demanding. I am not even in any position to. I was stating emphatically. There is a difference. Heck, this world will be destroyed. I guess if I am not around to see the final pangs, I don't care. I will merely be sad and disgusted.

      If I lived there, and saw one poaching, you can bet that I WOULD be dead set against it and try to stop it.
      I guess I still didn't slow down enough so you could keep up...I'll try one more time.

      Quoting you directly so it's impossible for me to "twist" your words:
      SERIOUSLY, they should ENFORCE the laws!
      Gabon doesn't have the money! Capicse? Comprende? Got it?
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Then they need to get off their asses and ask for aid. I'm betting if they ask for it, someone with some bucks somewhere will be willing to give it to them.
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    Sal
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