Poachers Kill 41 Elephants in Zimbabwe Park


B. McPherson


Poachers looking to make a quick buck on the burgeoning ivory trade have poisoned 41 elephants in Hwange National Park. The poison has been tracked to cyanide spread onto a salt pan and water holes. The destruction continues. Matriarchs would lead their families to salt and water. They die. The fertile females die. The babies die. The animals that feed on the poisoned elephants die. The animals that feed on those animals die. And for what?

The ivory of the elephant has become the new blood diamonds. The new found wealth of some Asian countries has led to a steep demand for ivory. Convention on Trade in Endangered Species(Cites) has sounded the alarm regarding the very survival of this species. According to their figures, 25 000 elephants were poached in Africa last year. An estimated 30 of them are killed every day in Tanzania.

The Philippines currently leads the world in consumption of ivory, legal or not. The dead elephants’ teeth are made into knickknacks and Christian amulets. It has been illegal to import new ivory into N. America for many years, but smuggling and loopholes ensure a supply of the bloody merchandise reaches the unscrupulous in the Americas as well.

In this latest disaster for the species, six men have been arrested and about $120 000 worth of blood ivory has been confiscated.

While the dire poverty of many who poach wildlife in Africa is often cited as reason to kill endangered animals, the poaching of rhinos and elephants is often carried out by well armed gangs equipped with poison and automatic weapons. What is the appropriate punishment for those who would exterminate a species for profit?

Further reading
Global Post 
Mail and Guardian 
BBC News


Location: Zimbabwe

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned Oil Pipelines What Lurks Below?

Image
These photos were taken July 2012 in the historic Turner Valley, Alberta B. McPherson Controversy over new oil pipelines is reaching boiling point in many circles. Heated debate is taking place over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway and Keystone Pipeline proposals. Safety, disruption to landowners  and more are being weighed against the money to be made transporting and selling petroleum products. It got me thinking about the old pipelines. What happens to a pipeline when it is too old to use or not needed? It’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland scene. The US laws and regulations are different from ours in Canada. The Pipeline and Gas Journal is a source of information about abandoned pipelines in Texas. Apparently a pipeline in Texas may be abandoned by a company, but it still retains ownership and may choose to reactivate the line at a later date. In the meantime, the right of way or easement is no longer maintained, but the through which the pipe extends is not ...
Read more

Prince Rupert Says No to Enbridge Pipeline

Image
B. McPherson Prince Rupert city council joined a growing list of BC coastal communities that are saying “No” to the Enbridge proposal to build a twinned pipeline from Edmonton to the coast. The decision of the Prince Rupert city politicians was unanimous. Already the village of Kitimaat, Terrace and the Skeena Queen Charlottes Regional District have voiced their opposition to the project. There are ongoing hearings by a federal court appointed Joint Review Panel which are gathering input from interested parties about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would bring crude petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The proposal would see a twinned pipeline run over the Rocky Mountains and through wilderness to the treacherous west coast. The proposed terminus at Kitimat would require tankers to wend their way through the maze of islands and reefs to load up at the head of Douglas Channel. While the hearings and the finding...
Read more

Scientists Beginning to Sound Warnings About Atmospheric Nitrogen Compounds

Image
B. McPherson                                                 This short film explains very well the greenhouse effect on Earth. While the world is focussing on the production and release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, other gasses are quietly adding to the catastrophe. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and nitrous oxide is 300 times more efficient at keeping the Earth warmed. While much of the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of the element nitrogen, it is the nitrogen in reactive compounds that is starting to worry atmospheric scientists. The Green Revolution was made possible by the industrial production of chemical fertilizers. It, combined with antibiotics has allowed the Earth’s population of humans to swell from 1.6 billion at the beginning of the 20 th century to seven billion this year. Nitrogen is a key nutrient in plant growth. Unfor...
Read more