GreenWatch

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 knickknac...

B. McPherson African elephants are under more pressure from poachers than ever. A global ban on ivory trade was instituted in 1990 but that hasn’t stopped the faithful demanding ivory for their religious props. From a baby Jesus to prayer beads to amulets and carvings, the elephants are fighting a losing battle.  According to information released by National Geographic Magazine in 2011 25 000 of those magnificent animals were slaughtered for profit. The poachers have no regard for family groups or the boundaries of national parks. In January poachers riding horses killed hundreds of elephants using AK 47s and rocket launchers. The elephants never had a chance to run. Adults, mothers protecting their babies and the babies all slaughtered inside a park in Cameroon. We no longer use ivory to make piano keys or billiard balls or anything else but what constitutes religious icons. The icons may be abstract, like prayer beads or images of a god. It is a cruel joke on the el...