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IFAW / EPA
Celine Sissler-Bienvenue of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) examines a slain elephant in Cameroon.
At least half the elephants in Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida reserve were slaughtered because the west African nation sent too few security forces to tackle poachers, the World Wide Fund for Nature said on Thursday.
In what was described as one of the worst poaching massacres in decades, as many as 200 elephants have been killed for their tusks since January by poachers on horseback from Chad and Sudan, the fund said.
Rising demand in Asia for jewelry and ornaments made from elephant tusks is understood to be among the factors behind the spike in poaching.
"WWF is disturbed by reports that the poaching continues unabated," Natasha Kofoworola Quist, WWF's representative in the region, said in a statement.
It was the second major elephant-poaching report out of Africa this month. On March 5, the warden at Virunga National Park, a U.N. World Heritage Site in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said poaching had become so severe that rangers began using bloodhounds to track down poachers. The Virunga elephant population has fallen to fewer than 400 from an estimated 3,000 in the 1980s.
In Cameroon, about 20 fresh elephant carcasses were discovered last week, a WWF spokesperson said.
The government of the Central African state has sent special forces to track the poachers and end the killing spree in the north of the country, but the WWF said this may be too little, too late.
"The forces arrived too late to save most of the park's elephants and were too few to deter the poachers," Quist said. She said the organization regretted that a soldier was killed during a clash with the poachers.
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Bouba N'Djida reserve
Biologically diverse and protected only by unarmed rangers, Bouba N’djida is located near Cameroon’s porous northern border, where it presents a tempting target for poachers from Sudan and Chad, the magazine Nature reported. They typically cross into the park on horseback at the beginning of each dry season and return north before rains begin in April, using ivory profits to procure more weaponry.
Legalize ivory trade to save elephants, rhinos?
The International Fund for Animal Welfare, or IFAW, said the scale of this year’s killings was unprecedented.
IFAW said it was not clear how many elephants remained in Cameroon but a 2007 estimate put the figure at between 1,000 and 5,000.
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.
In South Africa, rhinos are under assault by poachers, who killed more than 400 last year, NBC’s Rock Center reported.
More stories on this topic:
Rangers arrested for killing rhinos, selling horns
NBC's Rock Center reports on efforts to protect rhinos
Rhino dies during operation to protect it from poachers
This article includes reporting by Reuters.
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Leave a Comment:
Backcountry,a half million of anything is not a large number unless it's a half million polititions(sp).
1 elephant > 10,000 people
Lesson learned: Black rule = failure, death, pestilence, mass rape...
When will people admit this??
Go to the root of the problem: CHINA!
I have read the story twice, and am failing to understand the connection between a wildlife refuge in Africa and the World Wrestling Federation. Does Vince McMahon own the preserve? Were the elephants to be used at Wrestlemania?
Isaiah, I'm going out on a limb here in thinking you are being sarcastic. If you aren't, and others don't follow, WWF stands for World Wildlife Fund. Maybe some of the WWF wrasslers could go over and help out against the poachers, though. Bull Elephant vs. The Tusk. Now that would be a match.
This beyond horrible these beautiful animals don't have a chance for life in this world and that is so sad because of man and only because of man.
How dare we decide that what the human needs are far more important than the lives of these so important animals to earth it makes me want to vomate.
Completely agree. It is actually the Asians who are responsible for this. They are extincting the elephants, the rhino, the tigers, the lions, the whales, the dolphin and any animal they can kill.
If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. ~St. Francis of Assisi
Such is the insanity that mankind has become. We will not be satisfied until our ravaged planet becomes an uninhabitable wasteland, void of all the wonders that have evolved. Our brother and sister elephants deserve better from us. If our sense of self awareness and the comprehension of the effects of our actions were ever to come into play, it is now.
The commie Marxist African Free movement, tossed out the Euro Marxist colonizationists, and see what they got in return?! famine, plague, atrocities, slaughter, chaos! NOW, Loony Clooney , our new Czar of Africa wants the USA to colonize Africa and save it from themselves!? OMG, and Obama is one of them! send in the marines, OH sorry, cannot have them killing innocent Africans , even if it is for PETA!
Answer: Helicopter patrols, when poachers are seen, take aim and fire. Poacher meat is of no value, so I guess they would be best served as fresh kill. Lions need to eat too.
We need to go after those that are buying and put them in prison! If we cut off the buyers there will be no more killing. People pay BIG money for Ivory art and so on. We see it on the Antique Road Show all the time, "value $10,000.00." Lets make it "0 value."
This is an awful situation
To really combat poaching, the economics of the situation is key. Equal amounts of enforcement in consumer nations (often rife with corruption) must be utilized to squash the market and profiteers with harsh penalties. As well, forces of game wardens in source countries must be fortified with adequate manpower and equipment inclusive of the most up to date technology. The use of drone technology to rain terror on poachers as well as to gather intelligence on their movement would be beneficial in fighting this problem.
Having worked as a game warden for almost 23 years prior to my retirement, I know first hand the uphill battle faced by my dedicated Brother game wardens on another continent. The work of a game warden no matter where share many commonalities including, long hours of patrol, underfunding, dangerous conditions including environmental and the actions of poachers who would rather kill you than be captured, and the lure of poachers by profit to motivate their assault on our precious natural resources.
I am no longer in service as a game warden, but I am thankful for those who continue to put their lives on the line in the protection of our dwindling natural resources. The men and women who serve as game wardens throughout the world do so with dedication, professionalism, and integrity. The service they provide to both conservation law enforcement and public safety is immeasurable.
Flying unmaned plains in shifts they could cover most of that area in one week.But,then what to do with them once they caught the poachers!Turn them over to the villages in the area and wait for trails to begin! They are people and not animals so they get off easier than all them elephants that died.You can't hide these plains are very well equiped for night or day rain or shine,dust storms.Poachers would have no choice but to give up!
They could turn the poachers over to me! They would find out what a painful death is like.
It seems that the Chinese are the scapegoat this time. Whether that is true or not, the problem as far as preservation lies with all of us. Our lifestyles and cultures have lead to the destruction of many natural habitats. As we move forward it takes a toll on the Earth, and I think America is near the top as far as consuming goes. I am not advocating that what the poachers are doing is correct but I hope that the same people that are saying that these people should be shot are being environmentally conscientious when it comes to the food they eat and the lifestyles they live.
Speaking for myself, I am vegan. However, you are posting rubbish in excusing the Chinese. The Asians, (Chinese, Viet Namese, Thai, and Japanese) are extincting multiple species of magnificent and mostly gentle animals and sea mammals. They are heartless, soulless monsters without consciences and are destroying the planet.
I have an idea ....anyone found to be possessing or purchasing tusks,horns or anything made from tusks or horns should receive a death sentence along with he poachers. This would cut the demand down I assure you. These people need to know that the lives of these animals are no less important than their own. There has to be harsher consequence for the murder of these creatures....
It's interesting. I've been thinking about the major industries that have developed in the African nations over the centuries. It would seem to me that killing animals, killing each other, aids, too many starving infants and rampant corruption is about it. Does this continent have anything or anyone who is noteworthy? Why doesn't any faction of Africa seem to develop like other nations do? They have natural resources. They are well positioned to service Europe and the Americas.
How do the Japanese with no natural resources, poor location and more than their share of natural disasters do it? Self-discipline, education and of course, family values. I don't see Japanese women spitting out eight kids each allowing any dick-dragging derelict to father their next child. Truth be told, I wonder if the elephants being the most intelligent life form on the continent shouldn't be allowed to teach the humans about family values. We might see some improvement. Until then Mr. Gates, keep shoveling your money into the rabbit hole while you accomplish nothing in the long term.
I suggest using a technique developed in Alaska, killing poachers by helicopter. Someone could make a lot of money for that type of hunting adventure!
Yet alot of you people on here are the same ones that complianed about the Trump boy going to Africa on a pay to hunt. That gives this country Money that is used to prevent poaching and protect the animals.
This looks alot worse to me
That's the great thing about Africa that the white Xtian missionary types don't realize when they go out to screw with these people's minds and walk off with their souls.
Humanity was born in Africa; inhumanity is bred there.
No problem.......Obama's buddy, George Clooney is going to SAVE Sudan!
He doesn't give a dam about starving/homeless Americans who made him what he is!
He's happy, happy in his mansion in Lake Como, Italy!
Just another selfish Millionaire!!!! One of obama's best friends!
Aren't all millionaires automatically good, the right wing seems to think so as they wash their feet with American Tax dollars ?
Man continues with his insaitable need to destroy, murder, kill, the innocent for a profit....
The elephants are carrying thousands of dollars of ivory around unprotected in a land where a few dollars represents a months pay, they live in a priviledged park where their lives are better than that of most humans, they are treated by the government better than most humans, is it any surpirse that humans will kill them without a second thought? Its not to me.
You are a heartless jerk.
Solution: Raise elephants in massive herds on protected ranches and legalize the Ivory trade.
Leave it to the Chinese to show us once again how that godless country has no values.
They are the Ultimate Unregulated Capitalist, they buy, they sell, that's all they do, they let others do the dirty work and they aren't going to waste their time moralizing over it. Our right wing should be over their worshipping at their feet.
We are much to savage a species to be the descendants of ANY god.