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Subscribe to RSSWorkers at a Kenyan sanctuary for elephants who have lost their mothers, many through rampant poaching, talk about how they care for one of Africa's most endangered species. By NBC's William Angelucci.
Kenyan police announced on Jan. 15 they had seized the biggest haul ever of smuggled elephant ivory. Two tons of ivory valued at around $1.5 million was stuffed in a container at the port of Mombasa.
"This is a big catch, the biggest ever single seizure of ivory at the port of Mombasa," Kiberenge Seroney, the port's police officer in charge of criminal investigations, told Reuters.
"We fail to understand where one gathers the courage to park such enormous quantities of ivory, hoping that they can slip through our security systems."
Earlier in the month, poachers killed a family of 11 elephants in the single biggest slaughter of the animals on record in the east African country.
The harrowing news prompted NBC News cameraman William Angelucci to pull out a video he had filmed at a unique elephant orphanage in the country.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has been trying to save African elephants since the 1970s. It takes in young elephants that have been orphaned by the slaughter of their mothers and fathers for their tusks. The staff essentially become surrogate parents, feeding the youngsters by hand. As they grow older, for some elephants, humans are the only "parents" they've known.
So far, more than 80 elephants have been reintroduced to the wild after reaching an age between eight to 10 years old. That, however, doesn't end the relationship. The trust’s handlers say many of the animals "keep in touch," and even have brought their own young to visit their human families.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related content:
'A big catch': Record two tons of ivory seized in Kenya
Elephants slaughtered, orphan found in latest Africa poaching
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What really bothers me is that there should be no orphaned elephants to begin with. Elephant poaching has got to stop!!! The demand for ivory has got to stop!!! The arrest of poachers must begin and they should be punished to the highest extent possible.
A Dead Poacher and even hundreds of Dead Poachers will only slow the process... What we really need is several thoudand DEAD chineese Ivory Importers...
Half right, Larry. The solution may be simpler than we think. If the US Drug companies supplied FREE Viagra to China, maybe all those limp dick superstitious idiots will stop the slaughter of so many animals of different sorts. We should also provide them with micorwave heaters to sterilize them.
China could help by inforcing the laws as to inporting Ivory----No the goverment of China is to busy taking over the land rights for oil and natural gas---Colorado & Wyoming--China owns 33% of 800,000 acres--rights to the oil and natural gas which lie beneath Colorado and Wyoming---The Nexon Corp---bought oil riights in Canada and the Gulf of Mexico--isn't this great----China is busy--Hanjuan Jin--naturalized U.S. citizen--found guilty in Chicago of stealing trade secrets fro Motorola--- Wen Chyu sentenced to 60-months for stealing trade secrets from Dow Chemical---------Dongfan Greg Chung sentenced to 188-months in prison--he was conviced of economic espionage--acting as a illegal agent of China-involving theft of Boeing Co. technology-----------Xlaodong Sheldon Meng-sentenced 24-months in prison--economic espionage and violating Arms Export Control--stealing trade secrets from his exemployer--Quantum 3D Inc.---SAD SAD SAD SAD
"We fail to understand where one gathers the courage to park such enormous quantities of ivory, hoping that they can slip through our security systems."
I fail to understand how you can be so stupid to let that many elephants get slaughtered in the first place? Try to work on the front end part instead of "catching" boxes of ivory going out of the country.
@!$%#ING SAVAGES. (The poachers that is)
Instead of wasting our money and our boys lives in the Middle East lets send some troops over to kill off all the poachers...looking at the whole world this makes better sense....
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/predator-becomes-prey-google-funded-drones-hunt-poachers-africa-1C7456194
Worthy operation.
After watching a program a while back on these poor orphaned elephants and their keepers, I found it so heart-warming to witness the close bond they form with these intelligent animals. The keepers see them as their own children and provide such love and tenderness. Great work!
Catch as many elephants as they can and cut off their tusks before poachers kill them.
Um, is that even a possibility?
Unfortunately, this is not practical. A great part of the tusk is actually not visible, so the poachers know they literally have to cut off the elephant's face to access all the tusk. We have scratched our heads for years about how to discolor the tusk in some way, making it unusable, but of course this would have to be a method that discolors all the tusk, hidden and not, and is non-toxic to the animal. Also doing this to all elephants would require darting each, which is very labor-intensive, costly, and somewhat hazardous to the animal. It's a really sticky problem to solve, but I only WISH someone could come up with a solution. As it is, the poachers are organized and very violent criminal gangs who are exceedingly well-armed. It's a terrible problem that has serious national security issues for all affected African nations, in that having lawless poaching militias roaming the countryside are a threat to animals and people alike.
I want to add that I am so happy to see this article here. The Sheldrick Trust does magnificent work to rehabilitate these tragic and so physically and psychologically damaged little orphans, which are painstakingly nursed back to health, and then re-introduced over time, to the natural wild life they were meant to live. You can foster one of the babies - or several, if you wish - and then follow their journey continuously as they grow. My contributions to this organization are among the most rewarding I've ever made.
Would it be possible to surgically remove the tusks from the orphaned babies?
Byron...the orphans at the Trust's Nairobi Nursery mostly don't have tusks emerging until they are larger and have been transferred to the "halfway houses" where the youngsters begin their introduction to ex-orphans living wild, and fully wild elephants. The tusks are actually teeth, and they continue to grow throughout their lives. They use their tusks for defense, and for digging for food. Some elephants have broken tusks, or just one tusk, but they typically are extremely social animals who have lots of support from fellow herd-members, if they've in some way lost their own tusks, so that they are not left to fend on their own without them. And yes, I favor what others have said here - I do believe that due process is a luxury takes time - time that the shrinking numbers of elephants left in the wild do not have. Absolutely, these armed and violent poachers should be shot on sight.
I believe that due process should noy apply to poachers....on land or sea.
Shoot them/sink them on sight.
You are right, however the "bleeding hearts" would not approve.
I agree with the idea of poaching the poachers. It really is upsetting to see this happen and know that some people value a piece of ivory more than they do a life.
This problem won't be solved until all civilized countries make it a high felonious crime. Anyone in possession of Ivory that can be tested to be under 25 years should be imprisoned for a minimum of 25 years and all property he has impounded and sold immediately after conviction. If he shares title of property with others, then property is to be sold and monies received split proportionately. All monies of convicted felon to go to government that convicts felon. Poachers should receive life in prison with no parole or death sentence as each government dictates. This should be pushed by the United Nations too, with a severe penalty on Nations not following tough rules like this.
It's unforturnate that the world does not realize that the majority of Ivory, Shark Fins, Rhino Horns, Leopard and Tiger parts go to China for use in Folk Medicine... Untile the bastards in China are stopped there is no hope of saving these precious animals... Hunt and Kill the people involved at the end of the trail... I'll bet you would find them all to be Chinese
Yes, the end buyers are usually from the Far East, generally, China. If we could stop the demand in China, we could really make a big difference to the elephants - AND the rhinos - which are being poached because their horn (made of keratin, like fingernails) has aphrodesiac properties. Many Chinese think elephants shed their tusks and grow new, like antlers, and don't realize that elephants are killed for their ivory. And I cannot for the life of me understand why they don't just take Viagra instead of rhino horn, since Viagra actually works. Chinese ignorance and avarice will be the death of many of our most beloved species in the wild, if we can't get the ivory sales stopped worldwide, and somehow get through to the Chinese.
I was lucky enough to visit the Sheldrick Trust in Fall 2006. Watching these young elephants socializing and playing with one another (including shoving one another into the muddy puddles!) was funny and heartwarming...until remembering how it was they came to be at the Trust. Elephants are such intelligent, social, trusting and wonderful creatures. They deserve better than what man is doing. (BTW, the trust also had one orphaned rhino there too!)
I see a handful of people calling for the shooting of poachers. I don't necessarily agree with this tactic -- poachers would then just start shooting at anyone else out there. I don't know what the right solution would be to fix this problem, but it'd be kind of funny if the wildlife rangers start tranquilizing poachers, then leaving them without any gear or vehicle in the bush, letting them take the long walk home. Maybe being that close to "nature" during that walk will help them see the error of their ways...
Is there a way to donate to these guys?
Im thinking of spending some money for them to help out with their supplies.
Is there a way to donate to those guys?
I would not mind sending some funds for them to help out with their materials.
Those Asians have a slanted outlook on life!! They have nearly destroyed the tuna populations, yet their conquest to get every last one of them goes on.
They are the main polluters in the world with Shanghai having almost double the highest spot on the scale of pollution.
They are filling all our land fills with the JUNK they build and send to us. Most products fail in a few months.
They are the driving force for the poaching.
ole - you wrote: Those Asians have a slanted outlook on life!! That's a wide brush to paint concerning a population of people. Humans from all over the world have taken part in the destruction of wildlife, habitat, the environment, etc. for profit or any number of reasons. The Asians I know, including those who are Asian-American, would be the first to support conservation efforts.
In general, (to no one poster), elephants are amazing animals and their interactions in a herd create a strong, supportive and protective community. They take good care of one another. Humans could learn a lot from them.
If we can arm bears, let us arm the elephants. They have room in their trunk for a bazooka!
I am always amazed at how stupid greedy people are. They cannot see past the few dollars they make that once the population is gone, so too are their profits. Efforts to educate people are almost futile in the face of the possibility of making money. And while I don't doubt that some poachers are simply trying to feed their families, others are, more than likely, simply greedy.
To stop this type of carnage, global intervention is necessary. How about the big retailers who support China and Japan's export dollars into the U.S. and Europe putting some financial pressure on them to decry the import of ivory? Some will say they have tried. Well I say, "Try harder." Tell them, "Stop the demand for ivory and the killing of entire herds of elephants will, in the very least, decrease significantly."
How about a movement in this country and abroad to send a loud and clear message to retailers like Best Buy, WalMart, Target, and other larger merchandise/clothing chains (Macys, JCP, Lane Bryant, Outdoor World, and more)? Send a message that will get their attention in the only place they feel it - their bank accounts. Frankly, because of poor quality items and various corporate policies, long ago I scaled back my patronage of these large retailers and, in a couple of cases, I refuse to spend one dollar there. Believe it or not, one CAN manage quite well without a Wal Mart state of mind.
What's the message?
Dear Retailers: If you want us to continue spending our money in your stores, send a message to your suppliers that their country needs to ban the import of ivory, stop over-fishing tuna, and leave the whales alone, too. While you are at it, you may want to consider the havoc your developing economy is wreaking on the atmosphere. Scale it back or we scale back.
And then America - mean it!
One last thought: I have no delusions that this will happen. Most people in this country could not function without a weekly trip to line the pockets of their local WalMart-just one example of a retailer that successfully set themselves up as an indispensible provider. I'd like to think that Sam Walton did not intend for his legacy to be one of corporate greed disguised as help for the "common folk."
This makes me ill! I agree with boycotting the big chains.....most are owned by the illuminati.....also, boycott the fast food industry (McDonalds, etc....same ownerships)....we are slaves, WE ARE BORN INTO SLAVERY TO THE SYSTEM AND ALL THE CRAP THERIN! WHEN WILL THE HORROR STOP??? NOT UNTIL THE SHEEPLE STOP IT!!! IT DOES START WITH ONE BUT MANY MUST JOIN IN...............................
My fellow citizens! Destroy Chinese Communists first. The Chinese can take care of elephants and other wild animals if they've taken care of pandas. The Japanese've eaten tons of mercury pollunated tunas, they should've admitted war crimes they committed in WWII and asked for pardons from Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Australians and Americans.