One Woman's Mission To Save Orphaned Elephants

[Arthur Little]

Elephants - on account of their SIZE and BULK - would hardly make suitable domesticated pets; nonetheless ... ... the forum suggests that ANY animal~related topics should appear in the Pets' Section. So here goes:

Although elephants may be among the longest~living creatures in the animal kingdom, thousands of adults of the African species, and those in other tropical environments, are being slaughtered each year for their tusks, by poachers engaged in the ivory trade ... leaving their young to fend for themselves.

Thanks to the efforts of Dame Daphne Sheldrick and her late husband, David, sanctuaries were set up to care for the offspring of the animals killed in pursuit of this cruel, illegal practice.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38019026 ...

[Arthur Little]

... No replies from ANY of you animal lovers.

Tsk!

[Michael Parnham]

... No replies from ANY of you animal lovers.

Tsk!

Amazing lady and a very interesting video Arthur, what I have never understood is why the poachers don't drug these animals and saw off the tusks? They must be stupid killing them knowing that the population will decrease instead of keeping them alive so that there is a natural increase, therefore more ivory to poach. Didn't comment on this yesterday as I had no Broadband for24 hours due to BT updating service in our area.

[Arthur Little]

Amazing lady and a very interesting video Arthur, what I have never understood is why the poachers don't drug these animals and saw off the tusks? They must be stupid killing them knowing that the population will decrease instead of keeping them alive so that there is a natural increase, therefore more ivory to poach. Didn't comment on this yesterday as I had no Broadband for24 hours due to BT updating service in our area.

Thank you, Michael ... I can always rely on your support.

[Tawi2]

Amazing lady and a very interesting video Arthur, what I have never understood is why the poachers don't drug these animals and saw off the tusks? They must be stupid killing them knowing that the population will decrease instead of keeping them alive so that there is a natural increase, therefore more ivory to poach. Didn't comment on this yesterday as I had no Broadband for24 hours due to BT updating service in our area.

It takes a skilled veterinarian to know the actual dosage for a large pachyderm for a tranquelizer dart michael,then you have to follow the groggy animal,then afterwards you have to make sure it recovers,cover its head with wet sacking etc while it comes round from the tranquelizer,time....time....time,poachers at the bottom of the scale are locals who know the ground and the game intimately,they dont have the knowledge nor luxury of time,so they spray an elephant herd at a watering hole or similar with a 30 round clip of 7.62 from a cheap AK because they are going to drop one or two quickly,shoot and scoot,hack the tusks out of the fallen animals skull with an axe and then vacate the area ASAP as game wardens shoot to kill,thats how its done

[Tawi2]

But the guys doing the poaching arent to blame,dirt poor africans,its the middlemen,the conduit guys who provide the A-B route for ivory from africa-china that are at fault,the local african doesnt see an endangered elephant,his mindset isnt like that,he sees a years food or school for his kid when he sees a big grey animal with floppy ears drinking at the waterhole,he sees clothes on his familys back when he lines up the sights and squeezes the trigger,i would do the same in his position,i would want better results than a bullet so i would seed the area round the waterhole with anti-personnel mines,dont hate the player,hate the game,never judge a man till you have walked a mile in his shoes (or flip-flops) poverty and family are a dangerous combination,fear the man with nothing to lose.

[stevewool]

But the guys doing the poaching arent to blame,dirt poor africans,its the middlemen,the conduit guys who provide the A-B route for ivory from africa-china that are at fault,the local african doesnt see an endangered elephant,his mindset isnt like that,he sees a years food or school for his kid when he sees a big grey animal with floppy ears drinking at the waterhole,he sees clothes on his familys back when he lines up the sights and squeezes the trigger,i would do the same in his position,i would want better results than a bullet so i would seed the area round the waterhole with anti-personnel mines,dont hate the player,hate the game,never judge a man till you have walked a mile in his shoes (or flip-flops) poverty and family are a dangerous combination,fear the man with nothing to lose.

Indeed , but hey here in our safe lands and maybe a little trinket or two of ivory or is it just the odd cow bone, we don't care about the pitcher really but the poor animals .

[Michael Parnham]

Thank you for your knowledge and information, appreciated.