all poachers should be shot!!!!!!!!! no exceptions!

Franklin D.:

And there are a lot of "these problems" that western society did NOT create.

Hey franklin D., you should probably work on your reading and comprehension skills, not to mention Geography, before you make any more ignorant comments. The article says...

Conservation groups have said the spike in poaching and illegal ivory trade in Africa was a direct consequence of China's investment drive into the continent and as the demand for ivory, used in jewelry and ornaments, grows in Asia.

China, and Asia, are considered Eastern societies!

Read the article? franlin D doesn't have time for that, he's too busy blaming everything on the West.

@ray4a

yea, shoot the poachers, pull their teeth to make jewelry...and drop their carcases out front of their homes, so their families can watch them rot...maybe that is too harsh

No it is not to harsh!

It will not be very PC to write this, but you have African poverty and greed and an amoral Asian market that is also wrapped in superstition (powdered rhino horn as an aphrodisiac!). The UN should be able to help, but the Chinese would be the first to throw in a veto, and the politicians in African countries would want a hand-out (to divert to a personal offshore account, of course) to pay for increased surveillance. Sadly, within our lifetime the only places anyone will be able to see tigers, elephants, and rhinos will be in Western zoos.

@ORB 1943

It will not be very PC to write this, but...

LOL, if you think your post wasn't very PC wait until you read mine.

Elephants aren't doing that bad everywhere, that's just a myth. We are no where near the point where elephants will only be in zoos, in fact they thrive in some places. Botswana for example, the population there was 50,000 in 1990; it's over 150,000 today. What is one of the big secrets to their success you wonder? They hunt them. Approx 80, strictly controlled, licenses are issued every year and local populations reap the benefit of having people come there to kill elephants. A lot of money flows into local economies and also a lot of people get fed. And of course it limits the damage done by the ever increasing elephant populations in vital agricultural areas. The result is that the local populations that once viewed the elephants as a nuisance and who would simply look the other way when poachers came, now see the elephants as a source of revenue and actively protect them. The government saves vast amounts of money and the elephants are far better protected from poachers. Populations have increased to the point that non-violent, if you will, elephant based tourism is also increasing creating yet more incentive for people to protect what has become a profitable resource.

Using your logic, workingpoor, it is okay to kill humans because there are so many of us.

Maybe you can give me an idea how western society caused these effing barbarians to kill elephants for weapons?

Franklin D, time to take your meds.

Larryfor,

Sounds good to me.Why not start with the prison system. You know, murderers, serial rapists and so on.

Now here is a good case for drones. Easy to set up a GPS around the neck of one of the matriarchs and have drones loiter 24 by 7 overhead all the while piloted and monitored from the reserve HQ.

Franklin, ok relocating might be a solution, but there are plenty of Americans who would be happy to kill the elephants, as well. And it may be PC to blame the west for this extinction, but actually the monsters are killing the elephants to sell to the Chinese, Viet Namese, and Thai markets. So you can't blame the west for this. The only supporters of elephants, rhinos, tigers, whales, and dolphin comes from western countries.

They should arm the rangers with orders to shoot on sight any poachers they come across. What these poacher are doing is an abomination and they deserve absolutely no mercy. To kill these gentle giants simply to take their tusks is abhorrent. What make this even worse is that they leave the rest of the elephant to rot. Not that I support the slaughter of these animals, but at least if they are going to kill them they could use the entire animal. On a continent where many people starve to death every year, the meat could be used to feed a lot of these starving people.

@Backcountry164 - Your comment shows a lack of understanding of the problem. The elephants in the southern part of Africa in Botswana are a genetically diverse population from those in the central part of the continent in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Backcountry, I don't see your post as anti-PC. Hunters are often the best conservationists because they appreciate their prey and hunt for the love of hunting - not just greed. Poachers don't like competing with armed people that are liscensed and legally hunting the same thing. Let's just say that hunters don't take kindly to poachers.

Although in this case the primary problem is the lack of regulation in the park, so if hunting isn't well regulated either it's not much use.

Take that HORRIBLE @!$%#ING PIC off the front page!

Looks like the Trump children went on another vacation.

Pure disgust. I am just sickened. I give money to WWF in an effort to stop such events. I feel like pulling my hair out over this. I wish I had a magic wand....

Africa is a lost cause. Almost all governments there are a total disaster. Regular people were much better off under a colonial rule.

kill the killers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greed is equal amongst all men. Until we deal with that nothing will change.

Too bad the story didn't read...

"200 poachers found dead in an African park where they had gone to harvest ivory from elephant tusks. Authorities are unsure exactly how they died, but it appears that they may have been slaughtered by the local villagers who are angered that the poachers are destroying their wildlife. More than one body was found with a clear elephant track in the groin and all indications point to the trampling leaving the men alive, suffering in extreme pain before the villagers found them and killed them."

kill the killers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly what I said when I read the title !!!!.......But slow and painfully of course..... :)

ORB-1943, done hit the nail smack dab square on the tusk here! The World Community needs to get on those Asian's @sses Beaucoup Big Time for buying the stuff creating and sustaining a market for the stuff period!!!!! Listen Asian Butthole's Yo don't need NO Elephant Tusk Powder or Rhino Horn Powder in order to get a Hard-on to please Mama make her Happy!!!! Today there is Viagra and Citalis plus Yo healthcare insurance will pay for it too!!!! Just go see Dr. Whu around the corner and quit this ignorant nonsense OK!!!!

Savages. Pure and simple savages.

China is a real pain in the ASS around the entire world....don't touch Iran we need their oil, let's kill buddist monks because they don't think like we want them too, let's use melamine as a food supplement, let's use lead as a base filler for any and all of our products, don't boycott nuclear sanctions on Iran, let's support mid east terrorist groups, let's put a spy cam on every corner of the globe, They say screw the world and the International anti Ivory trade laws, their always only thinking of themselves, Top of the list for enviromental crimes.......China is the problem around the world, and all thanks to our greed for cheaper products.......

@Franklin D. - You want Elephants and hyenas roaming in Texas?!?

Anyway... this is such a sad situation. Slowly but surely killing off populations of wild animals that our grandchildren or their children's children might not be able to see.

There goes India's war machine...

Seriously it is a shame. The greed of a few is going to kill us all.

Track the poachers down and shoot them on site then track down the middlemen and do the same thing. The middlemen will always find people desperate enough to do the poaching so make it too costly for them to do business. I know we won't be able to get the buyers but if we can break the chain maybe it will help.

This is disgusting. Increase the number of rangers and arm them! The poachers deserve to be shot and their teeth and bones used for ivory.

JS: What has Botswana's elephant genetic diversity go to do with it? Backcountry's point was that allowing for limited hunting led to an elephant tourist industry in Botswana that in turn ultimately benefited the elephants. Presumably he's suggesting the same thing for Cameroon.

The sad thing is they are not even harvesting the meat.

In the USA, example Alaska. The animal taken illegally are given to food banks and the meat distributed to the poor.

These Asshopes need to do 40-50 years on a chain gang working on these elephant preserves.

the tourist trade is vital to the economics of the region. no elephants--no tourists. it would seem all of their resources should be dedicated to protecting these animals. maybe they should consider hiring our ex-military to guard the elephants---i know they'd get the job done. how can people think an ivory figurine is beautiful knowing the cruelty involved in obtaining the ivory. it's time to attack this at the point of sale. china the world is watching-----stop buying poached elephant tusks------

Just looked up the Botswana bit (4 different sources) and it does indeed appear to be successful all the way around for the elephants and the local populace. There were discouraging numbers for others, such as wildebeasts (sp) but reasons weren't given other than human encroachment and burning of land further south in the park, droughts, so I don't know this has any to do with poaching or the hunt itself.

As the elephant populace grows, larger numbers of licenses my be given and this may encourage more and more protection against poachers, both by financial and public policy/appearance interests but one thing I fear is that those that are willing to poach, once running out of elephants in any given area, will migrate elsewhere. Need to further research, but I imagine it won't be easy to stop them in any vast area.

People have their own opinions, but mine is that once any human is willing to brutalize, maim an animal while alive to harvest what parts they want to buy guns, then to use them to brutalize, take over villages, rape and kill to do so.... they're beyond redemption and I do believe in shooting these wastes on sight. Nothing in these things kicks in when the animal cries out in pain, when other human animals cry out in pain..... just nothing.

Same things poaching rhino, butchering gorillas for hands and feet.

@granny22

it would seem all of their resources should be dedicated to protecting these animals

They don't have any resources, that's the problem. Every single state in the US has a higher GDP than Cameroon.

"Biologically diverse and protected only by unarmed rangers"

Really? What did they expect?

Are the rangers supposed to hand out tickets to groups of armed men out in the woods? Even park rangers in the U.S. are armed.

There should be an open season on poachers. Shoot on sight I say! Arm those rangers with 50 cal. sniper rifles so they can cover a larger area. Heck, perhaps the Obama administration can let more 50 cal. rifles to "walk" but this time to Cameroon rather than Mexico arming drug cartels. Hey, perhaps we should hire the drug cartels to defend the elephants?

Peter Jacobs Nice idea Peter. Sounds promising.

As far as punishment, I think the poachers should have their "manhood" removed and then see how many poachers sign up.

Hunt them down like dogs and kill them, no mercy. These are not humans send in the predator drones why wait.

Why does God standby and let this happen?

A few good comments.

Franklin D is right to think that raising these elephants somewhere else could be an option. The real challenge with this is that there could be other environmental consequences.

Backcountry really has the best comment. This is an economic issue of poverty, greed, and ignorance. Maybe some day we will all be above hunting of elephants and buying ivory, but for now, give the poverty stricken countries an economic reason to protect the elephants and they will.

As far as the picture, leave it. It is gross, disgusting, and sad. I will never buy ivory because of picture like that.

Sadly many cultures are centurys behind and will only learn to conserve after they have after they learn for themselve the error of their ways.

sandra-brooks...I too donate to help these beautiful creatures.

I am feeling disgusted, sickened, heart broken and mad as hell.

They need to arm the rangers, beef up security and shoot on site for ANY poachers!

These poachers are trying to feed multiple-children households. The problem that no country - including the United States - will EVER address is the results of human over-population. We must put religious viewpoints aside, as this MUST BE ADDRESSED, and soon, if we are to survive on this planet. Evangelicals like the Duggers and now the Bates' who have NINETEEN children each, are using up 400 times the amount of common natural resources than they are entitled to.

GK Thetruth - As far as the picture, leave it. It is gross, disgusting, and sad. I will never buy ivory because of picture like that.

The picture has served its purpose. It is illegal to buy ivory.

Ivory for armaments? Is that what the killing is for? Is it funding the warlords of Darfar? How assinine.

Actually, you can blame Western Society on this. Modern Western society may have little to do with it, and the trade may be funded by Asian countries, but very few people seem to actually taking into account the whole history of the problem, which started a long time ago when the Europeans came into Africa and started carving out countries according to their own allotments, rather than taking into account normal cultural boundaries. The result was putting conflicting groups under the same rule, which (rather obviously) has resulted in many bloody civil wars in African countries.

Around the same time, people in Europe were still finding that the native animals of Africa were "neat" and "exotic" and wanted their time to shoot them themselves. The problem is that the pesky native people were already shooting the animals since many Africans relied on the native species for food, clothing, etc. To "save the animals" as well as gain exclusive access to them, National Parks were created all around Africa. In these parks the native Africans were kicked out, which has been pretty bad for many groups (with an exception for the Masai, who are actually very wealthy) because it cut off the people from their food sources and land.

Back to the civil wars: wars are expensive (as I'm sure we've all learned with the US's recent conflicts). People in Africa aren't exactly known for having a lot of money, but still need weapons to fight with. That's often where poaching comes in. It is a money maker and the results of it are often used to fund violence.

Back to the parks: The parks are still wreaking havoc. Although tourists are no longer using them as readily as private hunting grounds and going on "photo safaris" instead, it's still not the greatest environment for the animals. About almost two years ago I read an article about animals still dying off in certain game parks, unrelated to poaching. IMO, the cause is pretty blatant. An apex predator was removed, and we've seen these sorts of things first hand many times (Remember when Roosevelt wanted to save his favorite deer and removed the wolves to protect them? The deer population exploded, then they all starved to death).

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much of a real answer to any of these problems, because they conflicts won't simply go away with erased lines, and the human population is now so great that re-introducing them to humans probably won't be the best idea. But to imply that the "West" is faultless in this ignoring a very long and complex history of colonialism, the slave trade, artificially defined countries, national parks, and other disruption of native populations (of both humans and non-humans). Just because the "East" is buying doesn't mean the "West" is faultless (or anything other than one of the primary causes).

[Source: Lecture. Taught by an anthropologist who spends a good amount of time in Africa studying the use of animals in traditional medicine and the resulting interactions between people and native species; the anthropologist's father served on major wildlife conservation boards.]

Need a open season on poachers, till then poach the poachers.

If China was the controlling power in the world, what do you think the world would be like? They think every thing is a aphrodisiac, food or something to make jewelry out of.

Poachers should be shot on site

China you disgust me for your love of Ivory

What are you bastards going to do when you have killed all the elephants huh

@JS in SD - if they arm the rangers, the poachers will kill the rangers to eliminate the threat to their own lives while they go about murdering elephants. It is actually for the rangers' own good they are unarmed.

@about that - leave the $%#@! horrible picture. Why sanitze how ugly this is? Have we become such a soft society that we do not want to be confronted by reality if it is too disturbing. It should be disturbing and offensive. It should outrage people and make them want to do something about it, not hide from it. It's the truth.

Now here is a good case for drones. Easy to set up a GPS around the neck of one of the matriarchs and have drones loiter 24 by 7 overhead all the while piloted and monitored from the reserve HQ.

Great idea! Why not use some military equipment for good. It would keep the Soldiers and Airman trained, reduce poaching, and make the local park rangers more efficient by knowing exactly where theses poachers are. I would even go as far as letting the drones carry weapons...like gas to disable the fools until authorities arrive.

Have you ever noticed that demand for all exotic and endangered animal parts is always from Asia? These cultures have a complete disregard for these animals and are only concerned with themselves. Shark Fin soup, the gal bladders of the American Black Bear, Ivory from Elephants, the list goes on and on.

Until you change the way the Asian countries think you might as well kiss all endangered animals goodbye.

So some people are saying that poachers should get killed for killing animals,yet when a man kills a baby human and is faced with the death penalty,the same people are saying that the baby killer should go free.

Passing a test on Mixedpie's post should be required to be allowed to post anything else here. If your post is less than three paragraphs, you need to study the matter more, it seems to me.

We, in the US, have only recently discovered the need to protect wildlife. Our very own greatgrand fathers killed millions of buffalo from moving trains, across the "WEST". And, seldom took even a tooth. We shot them, by the millions, and the train never stopped rolling. We are in no way "holier" than anybody else, in this area. And, that's not even the worst we behave toward our wildlife. We have killed, and continue to kill more in two other ways.

We likely kill the most wildlife by destroying their habitats. Where we, and our cars thrive, not much else survives. Our cities, highways, and other structures, have made living miserable for thousands of species. The worst part is, with a little planning much of the damage could be reduced. But, we'd rather not bother.

Hardly anyone ever mentions the damage done to native species, when we mix species in our neighborhoods. I live in Florida, and we probably have five pages of tightly typed names of "invasive species" that threaten our wildlife, flora and fauna.

We are a wealthy and powerful, and educated nation, yet millions of us call efforts to protect various wildlife species "treason", "socialistic", and "unpatriotic". Many of you reading this, have done just that in the last few weeks. We are fine ones to be calling others names.

As a practical matter, promoting "eco-tourism" may be the best quick way to protect wildlife worldwide. Though how elastic the demand will prove to be, is a good question. It may be our best shot, though.

Franklin - WTF!! China wants Ivory - The west is responsible. Huh?!

When will people understand! ~ When all the animals and ecosystems are destroyed: the plants will go, the ocean will go and then we'll all go!! Pick up a book on ecology if you don't believe me!!

J Scott::: Wrong family. It wasn't the Trump sons. It was a ROMNEY son who went elephant hunting. It was in the news.

I also would like to see the West or the USA specifically, as part of our foreign aide, send tractors and farming implements rather than tanks. Make part of the aide is programs set up to learn conservation in growing food stuffs and raising of livestock. If people can feed themselves, and raise a family, they tend to think more about not going to become a soldier in someones militia or army if you will. I'v read where 48 billion dollars is what it would cost to resolve the water shortage problems of the entire world. Hell we spend that in a little less then 6 months in Afghanistan. Food, water, and a vision of your family becoming educated rather than exploited by one group or another. That is when animals and people can learn to exists along side of one another. The set up described by one here where the income for entire villages can be raised with tourism and wildlife conservation efforts is such an example. When people are impoverished, they tend to be more militaristic. But when their is a future in sight and food in their families bellies, people become nicer and less hardened. That would be my thoughts on a strategy that could transform the African Continent without colonizing the countries. Do similar stuff in the middle east and I think a big change could be had in that part of the world as well. But that's another story of it's own misery.......bc

Track the poachers down and shoot them on site then track down the middlemen and do the same thing. The middlemen will always find people desperate enough to do the poaching so make it too costly for them to do business. I know we won't be able to get the buyers but if we can break the chain maybe it will help.

It is not the starving poachers, or the wealthy middlemen.........its the end consumer that needs shot....kill the demand and you have no reason for a supply........Our government thinks spending billions on drug control and chasing dealers is the solution, its not, as long as the "USERS" want it, it will be there, I don't care how many DEA, Border Patrols, Drones, etc..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWoWnaj00xc

JS,

Your comment shows a lack of understanding of the problem. The elephants in the southern part of Africa in Botswana are a genetically diverse population from those in the central part of the continent in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Your comment shows a total lack of understanding of the solution. In African countries that allow controled hunting of all animals you give those people a vested interest in their protection and management. What would have been a poacher elsewhere becomes a hunting guide that feeds his family from being paid for his services. Countries with animal management have larger, healthier animal populations. Genetics is irrelevant in this situation as we aren't talking about moving a population to another area. The simple truth is a renewable resource that has a monetary value will be better protected.

No one here is buying the stuff, but the Muslims love it

The Vatican loves it too.

Before making ignorant statements do some thinking and research. What do Muslims and the Vatican have to do with any of this amoral activity--poaching of elephants and buying and selling of ivory?

this is the result and ugly side of capitalism and yes these low life people should be shot. And to the morons who post that elephants aren't endangered yes they are. I am sure wildlife conservationists know a hell of a lot more about elephant and wildlife populations than a moron claiming that threatened and endangered species claims are made up .Yes thanks to black markets and stupid beliefs that animal parts are magical cures we will sadly lose a lot of animal species we have known in our life times thanks to the cruelest species on earth humans.

Now that China can afford ivory, they are now the leading buyers. The circle of capitalism at it's best/worst.

GOPtakingUSAbackwards - C'mon do you know a hoax when you see one i.e. Global warming or Evolution?

Let’s not let facts get in the way of a reasonable argument.

Scott you must be the ultimate optimist to think all the bad things in the world are a hoax.

I have such contempt for mankind sometimes. JScott maybe you send your stimulus or other government subsidies that you receive to help these animals?

Or you just another hypocritical democrat do as I say not as I do?

@GOPtakingUSAbackwards, Capitalism my ass!!!! Greed and stupidity is what prompts this type of behavior.

Yes, exactly that which defines the modern capitalist he is mad as insane, the capitalist the hallmarks no matter the country around the world their moral stance: Greed, sense of entitlement and mass gross stupidity the salient features of their psyche - Oh yes....

i don't understand, why they don't tranquilize the animals, remove their tusk and take away the incentive for the poachers. in a perfect world it wouldn't be necessary but based on this story we are well past the point of easy solutions. NO TUSKS,NO POACHERS.

And you're absolutely certain that there is not a greedy American oil company behind it? If they kill off all the elephants the oil companies will be able to drill.

"Last wild elephant killed"

Fixed your statement for correctness. We will still have then in Zoo's, but like so many other animals in the next four decades they will be extinct in the wild.

DELETED

@sonar guy

Some day in the future a headline will say: "Last elephant killed".

Yeah well that has been the case for 99.9% of species that have existed on Earth so I'm not sure why this is somehow surprising. There is no reason to believe that trend won't continue. As for elephants specifically, that day is a long, LONG way off. Contrary to the frequent doom and gloom conveyed by articles such as this the elephant population is around a half million and steadily growing in some places that have adopted more unusual conservation techniques.

Were is your proof I get emails daily from conservationist fighting to save endangered and threatened species. I am sure conservationist know a lot more than you would. Nothing can be gained by lying an animal that is nearing extinction or is endangered. There is danger in thinking that we will always have these animals around. Soon the earth will be a lifeless wasteland courtesy of greed and selfishness. the people that do this are among the scum of the earth.

I would be happy to donate my time, the shells and my Barrett M82 .50 to help steer these poachers into a new profession such as fly bait or worm food!!

I would be willing to bet that at least half of them would reconsider their profession just as soon as the first one in their group took a direct hit and suddenly without warning exploded all over about a 1500-2000 sq ft area!!

Today, there are an estimated 450,000 - 700,000 African elephants and between 35,000 - 40,000 wild Asian elephants.

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/elephant.php

Wow, that's way to many, cul, hell we can kill another 400k in Africa and maybe 20k in Asia.. like the Buffalo, we had way to many so people shot them from trains, now it's one of the most expensive meats you can buy, and it's better than beef...Wolves, in Alaska there are so many your allowed to shot them from planes.. oh, how about a nice carrier pigeon sandwich... Intellent people yes, but to dumb to realize what we do until it's to late..

I hear that.

The numbers I posted actually scared me when I found them. I didn't realize it was that bad.

And once the last wild elephant is killed they'll move onto other game until it goes toward extinction- all in the name of greed. Put a bounty on the poachers and watch the game change from hunter to hunted.

Twas announced in December that the Rhino in South east asia is now officially extinct. As with elephants, the Asians - Chinese, Burmese, Vietnamese, Koreans have this thing for aphrodisiacs and mythical remedies for eternal life, etc. Certain Arab/Muslims Cultures want Rhino horn for daggar handles. Since you westerners pay too much to the Asians to build your stuff and the Arabs to supply your oil all these people are loaded with cash and can now pay incredible prices for Bear galls, Rhino horn, ivory, etc. As for the Africans, they are just like the idiots in our west 140 years ago. some guy stood on a plain and shot the last buffalo but believed another million of em were just over the ridge. when he walked to the top, met a guy coming from the other direction who just killed the last one over there. They met and said I heard there was plenty over there and each pointed to where the other guy just came from. So "we" wiped out, the buffalo, the beaver, the everglades birds for hat feathers and thousands of other species. Now the Africans are killing off their stock. All these ignorant - but rich or workin for the rich have thre ability to kill everythoing in sight. And each one of em, doesn't see a darned thing wrong with it.

And the tiger.

The Asians are billions of heartless, soulless pieces of garbage who are killing all the magnificent animals on the planet.

Optomyst-

And the tiger.

Can you believe people even want to argue about this? There is so much more I could say, but there is no point. It is sadly not a battle I am not willing to fight. There is an army of men scattered all over the places that elephants dwell that want their tusks, and will risk their lives to kill them.

Sure some will survive in captivity as if they have no right to be here. The truth is that their gene pool will shrink to a point where a new virus will kill them all off. No one will pull a trigger to kill the last one. That one will likely die alone in an enclosure of loneliness.

"And the tiger" sums up all I wanted to say.

All they have to do is to sell hunting licenses for poachers. There are no doubt, plenty of people that would love to have a poacher in their sights, especially if they are black.

You are correct. On the other hand, this is yet another argument for more countries in Africa to support well regulated hunting industries. The hunting industry is MORE lucrative than poaching. The money generated by the hunting industry provides for the conservation and protection of both game and non-game species in those areas. The fees paid by hunters for these hunts goes to support local communities in the form of jobs, whether directly related to the hunting activities or the inherent increase in tourism. This means they are less likely to resort to poaching as a means to survive. It also provides for salaries for law enforcement personnel to exist in these areas, whose presence helps to protect these animals from poachers. In addition, there is little to no waste of the harvested animals, as the locals are also the beneficiaries of the harvest and are very grateful for the much needed protein. They are also very adept at making use of all non-consumable parts of the animals, i.e. bones and hide, and nothing is wasted. It is all part of the circle of life!

Good point Step in what, but I doubt the tree huggers would go for it. They'd rather keep it illegal, and thus more profitable for criminals, in order to feel good about themselves.

Actually DunkinH, environmentalists/conversationists are the number one advocates of controlled hunting practices. How do you think hunting organizations like Ducks Unlimited were started? They were founded by hunters who were worried about declining game populations...aka...conservationists. Also, most true environmentalists are hunters, as "thinning the numbers" of specific species evens out the effect caused by human influence on the natural ecology. For example in Florida where I live, most environmentalists are deer hunters; this is because deer populations run out of control without regulated hunting and 1000's of deer starve from over population due to the lack of an apex predator (FL panther in this case), which has been diminished due to land use change and development.

Of course hunting in a park where the total elephant pop is only 200 wouldn't make sense, but hunting is actually an important part of eco-tourism in places where this can be done sustainably, or where it may be necessary.

@Alex-3861862

Actually DunkinH, environmentalists/conversationists are the number one advocates of controlled hunting practices

He didn't say conservationists, he said tree-huggers. There's a difference. the goal of a conservationist is to, well, conserve. The goal of a tree hugger is to make themselves feel good about themselves.

Dude, keep drinking the Molsen. Typical liberal broad based brush-- not all humans kill endangered species.

Roger, maybe not but the rest of us sat back and let this happen. You cannot tell me there is no way to secure the preserve and lower the access poachers have into it. If the resources were diverted they could build an electric fence or something around it to keep poachers out.

Better yet find ways to introduce ivory into the market legally to force prices lower. When ivory is not so lucrative poaching will stop.

The Donald is so proud of his elephant killing boys. They"hunt" with laser guided assault weapons, really macho.

@Canuck Guy

we, as humans, have failed as stewards of our planet due to our pervasive hubris...

True, now if we could only get people like you to realize it is largely the hubris on your part that causes much of the problem. Your post is a CLEAR example of this but you don't see it and you probably never will see it because you don't want to see it.

put camouflaged solar powered robotic mobile remote turrets around the parks equipped with sniper rifles and high resolution night vision scopes and have them set up in clusters so a group of 8 forest rangers can control 32 turrets from 8 monitors using eye tracking software for aiming plus a joystick for manual aiming and control switching, that would curb the poachers real fast and allow video surveillance to be recorded for logistics and evidence. nice wont get the job done in this case, looks like it's time to clean house.

@SCARLETBIRDS

put camouflaged solar powered robotic mobile remote turrets around the parks equipped with sniper rifles and high resolution night vision scopes

Yeah, they can't afford enough people who earn about 100 bucks a month but they're going to have money for high-tech robotic turrets. You realize this is Africa and not Candy-Land right?

bet if they asked they could get all the animal rights activists around the world to fund them with donations and possibly labor. if people will give money for help to a natural disaster they are probably willing to donate for this cause as well, all they have to do is send a few ads in the national papers and TV and radio a few times per a week with contact info and a cause and they will be in business, each turret costs about 5000 dollars if you build it yourself - a turret shield which is another 100 for good steel work(i know this because i was looking for parts for another project) excluding the rifle which is a minimum of 200 dollars for a cheap one vs 5000 dollars for a 50bmg and ammo can be made on demand(i know this because i collect/repair guns) and modify the rifles to be belt/drum fed so they are low maintenance.

Also Viet Nam and Thailand.

Nike can't employ everyone in these countries.

Atheists-- Hitler (pagen)

Mao

Stalin

Various Communists and Socialists

Death Toll-- 300,000,000 in the 20th Cent.

Atheists are not a solution unless the solution is Bloodshed

I'm agnostic, but I hate snobby athiests who act like they have a spotless track record.

Religion is only for the weak minded.

and they fall for jedi mind tricks oh so easy

Actually, Hitler was a Catholic, and he said so multiple times in public and private conversations/speeches. Even if you say he was a pagan, he was still OUTWARDLY Catholic, and he led the slaughter of the Jews as an outwardly Catholic leader. He even justified it by saying he was doing the work of the Lord. Also, even if he was a pagan, pagans aren't Atheists, so you're wrong on multiple counts. Pagans believe in MANY Gods, not NO God.

And, there's no proof that Mao nor Stalin were Atheists. Just because they disbandad churches doesn't mean they didn't believe in any God... it just meant the church was getting in their way of getting more power. Stalin actually promoted HIMSELF as God, which makes him crazy, not an Atheist.

Now, let's go ahead and talk about the Crusades, shall we? Or the persecution of "witches." Or the Inquisition. Or any of the many European wars that were based entirely on Christianity's splintering into several different religions (Catholics, Protestants, etc), where Christians were killing other Christians! Those, on top of Hitler's Catholic-inspired number, far outnumber anything any ACTUAL, ADMITTED, QUOTED Atheist has ever done, I guarantee you! Yay Christianity, the religion of peace!

And if you want to talk about the poaching of these elephants, go look up the religions of Chad and Sudan. How Atheist are those countries? Maybe 5%, if you really fluff the numbers? But Southern Sudan (the area closest to these refuges) is 50-70% Christian, and Chad is probably around 40% Christian, with the rest being Muslim or a small amount of Animists. Aka, it's Christians and Muslims poaching these animals, not Atheists!

If there is a God and a Heaven, then I believe that all animals would go there, but all humans would probably go the other direction entirely. All we do is kill each other, kill animals, bicker over trivialities, and embody a me-me-me attitude. The gates of Heaven, if it exists, would be closed to the dark souls of humanity, I am sure. (I'm comfortably agnostic, by the by, if this "if if if" paragraph didn't make that apparent.) And no, I don't think saying, "I get to go to Heaven because Jesus died for my sins!" makes up for the selfishness of your current acts. He doesn't come back and die once a year to give everybody a do-over.

Roger of the people you named i seriously doubt that religion or lack of had very little to do with them be pychos. Not to mention I could match each one with a "religious" leader who loved the murder. Somethings are just not black and white.

I would support military action to protect these species, and I think it's the only thing that would work.

The Chinese only own 20% of a quarter of our debt. That is 1/5 of 1/4. In what world (besides Bizzaro) does that equate to a lot?

LOL!!!! Sklylark really??? China has 1+ billion people and India who is a close friend of China has another 1+ billion people now for fun let's remember that Russia is a friend of China. Hmm let's see...I do think that we would be far outnumbered manually if it came to military action through China and India now through in the Russians with their technology that is very similar to ours and we are screwed. YAY!!! Btw, all of China's citizens have to serve a year in their military so guess what? They don't only outnumber us, but they also have more people with military training than us too.

India is a Democratically controlled country that is not aligned with China per se. They do have about the same in population numbers and each are a nuclear armed country, so that means they would never fight against each other.

Goodbye rhinos, whales, dolphin, tigers, lions all thanks to the Chinese, Japanese, Viet Namese and Thais.

While I agree with both of the above posts. We must not forget that is was only decades ago that we were still hunting animals to extiction and some still do. So we need to try to be less self righteous about what is going on. I have always believed that the poachers should be treated like the animals they kill thrown naked into a field and let the hunters have after them.

Skylark, go into the homes, er, mansions, of the rich and famous all over the world and you will see all kinds of trophies made of the parts of these and other animals. Of course, as mentioned earlier, a lot of animals are giving their lives for "aphrodisiacs" for Asians, but they are not the only ones to blame. And Neko S, it was not decades ago that we were hunting animals to extinction, many still do, not with guns alone, but with the relentless destruction of habitat, for lumber mining, or simply for more and more house building to get out of and further from the problems of the inner cities (instead of solving the problems). Then when we move into the woods, we have to kill all the 'dangerous' or just plain nuisance animals, don't want them to eat our expensive landscaping plants!!!! We don't have to look far to see who is killing lots of animals! Sadly, it is all of us, and we don't even realize it.

Legal hunting and illegal poaching are two different things. A Legal hunter would like to see all poachers put behind bars. Poaching gives hunting a bad name as most people can not or will not know or care about the difference.

An ethical hunter would never poach. Confusius said, "To know what is right and not do it is the worse form of Cowardice." The problems stems from the natives in Africa not knowing or not caring about what is happening to the elephants they poach. They are only trying to survive.

They need to find other work. In most cases of where legal hunting occurs in Africa, the local population is given the opportunity to work with the Safari guides and the local villages get to have the meat that is taken. They do not like poacher either as it takes away their opportunity to work.

Actually a Good, no, Great idea.

Seriously.

Rhino horns are already being made poisonous but elephant tusks are not because I don't believe they are consumed but instead are carved for all sorts of things as the article mentioned and even have prayers engraved for good luck.

Poachers kill the animals, middlemen take them to other countries illegally. Almost every country on Earth has signed the Treaty against importation of horns and hides. Laws do not mean anything. The only way to stop this is to kill the poachers or give them alternative, more lucrative jobs.

If not for this reason but for many others also we should be boycotting these nations. Not buying their products would be a good way to start!

Completely agree. I don't know why the United Nations is doing nothing about this. Nothing. There needs to be constant world wide pressure and military action taken to protect these animals. This is more important than the war in Iraq, where we wasted billions to no purpose.

skylark,

the United Nations will be too busy looking into our voting laws than to go look at something that would be good for society.

"bush meat" is also very popular in Africa.

Donald Trump boys went to Africa and they killed an elephant, with all their money why did they not trap the one they killed and transported the elephant to that Cameroon Park. Two Hundred elephants were killed since January by pochers for the ivory. Did their elephant they shot have Ivory. And as far as the poachers go Arm the Security ( Game Wardens ) with AK47 and let them shoot to kill the poachers, one warden was killed by them. It is unreal from 3000 elephants down to 400, it is a shame.

Part of the problem is land use. these creatures need large amount of territory in which to roam. This is so that what the elephants forge on can regenerate. If not it a case of eating yourself out of house and home. The Areas set aside for elephants need to have some connectivity and how many elephant can sustainable live on the land set aside for them along with the various other animals that co-exist. Also it needs to be in away that locals can support themselves were there is more money made to overall protection of the animals and landscape instead of risking death to feed your family. Honestly there is so much Ivory in storage right now that the could flood the market several times over. Making use of the money to put aside more land to protect these creatures.

Very well put.

Unfortunately, probably never.

Military action could fight it. Mow down a few of these poachers and that might slow it down.

Then you get the whiny bleeding hearts saying it's not the poachers fault, it's cause their mommies didn't love them and they had to eat soy as children or some BS.

Name one country where the elephant population is growing. And provide links backing up your ideas, please.

skylark: Botswana would be one.

Skylark

Every country in Southern Africa where Elephant hunting is legal has growing herds of Elephants. RSA, Zim, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania.

You can Google it yourself.

Well, sorry, I tried to include a link twice and thought it worked the second time, but I guess it didn't. I'm not sure why. Let me try ONE more time...

www1.american.edu/TED/elephbot.htm