-http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/africa/africas-elephants-are-being-slaughtered-in-poaching-frenzy.html?_r=1-
With major problems surrounding Northern African countries and current uprisings, I chose to steer away from those articles and find something different. I as I began my search I quickly came across an article involving the elephant population in Africa. Never had I thought that this could actually be a problem considering how massive and strong these animals were. But as i continued to read I found that Ivory wars have become the reason for the recent massacre of elephants. Just within the first paragraph striking news was presented. In the DRC's Garamba National Park, officials found "Twenty-two dead elephants, including several very young ones, clumped together on the open savanna, many killed by a single bullet to the top of the head"(NYT).
It seems that Park officials spotted a Ugandan helicopter fly over where the elephants were killed and quickly flew off after being spotted. This slaughtering it said to be the new deadly resource throughout Africa. Just like the blood diamond, the article speculates that ivory trade has become heavily militarized and seems to be heading in the direction of an illegally traded and highly sought after resource. That being said thousands of elephants, including babies as the article stated will be killed and slaughtered only for their ivory.
And people wonder why animals go extinct! This is appalling, coming from someone who loves animals it is ridiculous to hear that these people are so desperate for something to trade that they will kill beautiful animals such as Elephants. I know a while back, maybe even today still, people like this would find rhinos and cut off their horns and sell them. The rhinos would either die because they would be cut too closely and they could bleed to death, or somehow they would survive and never be the same again.
ReplyDeletei picked this article too! it's so sad but what I find to be the worst part is that not only are elephants being ruthlessly killed but, as a result people are being killed because the money made from the ivory is used to purchase weapons that feed civil wars. I don't understand why there is not more regulation before the ivory hits customs.
ReplyDelete