Elephant poaching

I just heard on the radio that elephant poaching is getting way out of hand....the price of ivory is nearly $1K/lb., and military groups are getting in on the poaching as a way of funding their efforts. As a result, the rangers in wildlife parks are now using RPGs, belt fed machine guns, and mortars
http://www.npr.org/2012/09/05/160588873/elephant-poaching-is-on-a-rise-in-africa
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/africa/africas-elephants-are-being-slaughtered-in-poaching-frenzy.html?pagewanted=all

The reason is that the Chinese want ivory.

Why a country with half the berking population in the world needs more aphrodisiacs is beyond me, but I'm sure they probably think unicorn livers will give them a boner too.

Shockingly, they're not powdering the stuff and snorting/eating it as a penis pill. (...at least, I haven't heard about it yet....wouldn't put it past them, though.) What I have heard is that the ivory is being used to make bookmarks, combs and other useless little trinkets of it. I guess it is just another example of conspicuous consumption as a means of trying to prove one's status; i.e. wealthy woman says, "I bet you can't afford nifty ivory earrings like the ones that I am wearing."

$1K/lb!?!?

berkeley... the Elephants are gonna need the aphrodisiacs.

If only there was a way to make fancy jewelry out of morons....

1988RedT2 wrote: If only there was a way to make fancy jewelry out of morons....

http://www.funeral-urn.com/cremation-jewelry.aspx

Who the heck has a pan big enough to poach an elephant?

If these were even smart criminals they'd be capturing elephants and setting up a hidden elephant farm.

In reply to GameboyRMH: except captive bred elephants are pretty hard to come by too. The local zoo had one ~5 years ago and made major attention then the thing died.

When I was a kid I read a science fiction story about the last few days & death of the last elephant.

I thought it was too far out to be entertaining, never happen. I guess I was wrong ----------------------AGAIN!

If you think about it, elephants are a lot like the middle class.

1988RedT2 wrote: If you think about it, elephants are a lot like the middle class.

Yes, we're being "mined" for our ivory and then being tossed aside to rot.

damn, they're on to my recent hunting endeavors......berkeley me

914Driver wrote: Who the heck has a pan big enough to poach an elephant?

Exactly what I was thinking.

There are times when I really hate humanity. I just read recently that a mountain lion was shot in cottage country not far from here... because it was a potential danger. I couldn't help but think "but... there are already far too many of us, and those big cats are endangered".

Then I hear about "Honey Boo-boo" and I think "and for THIS entire species are vanishing?"

914Driver wrote: Who the heck has a pan big enough to poach an elephant?

How do you poach an elephant? One piece at a time.

914Driver wrote: Who the heck has a pan big enough to poach an elephant?

Still laughing.

Lesley wrote: There are times when I really hate humanity. I just read recently that a mountain lion was shot in cottage country not far from here... because it was a potential danger. I couldn't help but think "but... there are already far too many of us, and those big cats are endangered". Then I hear about "Honey Boo-boo" and I think "and for THIS entire species are vanishing?"

Ain't THAT the truth. Of course, if the mountain lion ate Honey Boo Boo it would probably die of indigestion (spoiled meat!), so maybe it was for the best.

I believe there was a discussion about poaching other animals for fun even if they were in a facility and bred specifically for it. I think most of you may remember my feelings on hunting any endangered species or not using everything from what you kill. The Native Americans had/have it right.

I hope the rangers get a chance to prime those mortars immediately after shoving it up a poacher's ass.

Johnboyjjb wrote: In reply to GameboyRMH: except captive bred elephants are pretty hard to come by too. The local zoo had one ~5 years ago and made major attention then the thing died.

True....and some species are more difficult than others.

The African elephants can be bred through artificial insemination, but the Asian ones cannot. (Well, to be very clear, should say "some African elephant species".....they've now decided to divide those into forest and savannah species, and I don't know if there's a difference in how easy they are to for artificial insemination. We'll also overlook the fact that we bred/hybridized the African elephant species for a long time, so everything is weird in that gene pool, anyway.)

Practical upshot: You can transport sperm from most of the african elephant bulls across the country to inseminate a female. That doesn't work with asian elephants, and the last I heard, we don't know why. To breed Asian elephants you have to do it the old fashioned way, which is to have them in the same location and play Barry White music. (I'm not certain about the tunes.) Anyway, the transporting is expensive, and stressful to the critters.

Lesley wrote: There are times when I really hate humanity. I just read recently that a mountain lion was shot in cottage country not far from here... because it was a potential danger. I couldn't help but think "but... there are already far too many of us, and those big cats are endangered". Then I hear about "Honey Boo-boo" and I think "and for THIS entire species are vanishing?"

Mountain lions are endangered up your way? Damn things are over running us out here. Hardly a week goes by that they aren't coming down into town and grabbing dogs because there is such competition for deer up in the mountains. Heck most of the guys around here take a couple a year during hunting season.

Lesley wrote: There are times when I really hate humanity. I just read recently that a mountain lion was shot in cottage country not far from here... because it was a potential danger. I couldn't help but think "but... there are already far too many of us, and those big cats are endangered". Then I hear about "Honey Boo-boo" and I think "and for THIS entire species are vanishing?"

Public safety is a complete different matter. Also, there are far more mountain lions than government agencies think.

rebelgtp wrote:

Lesley wrote: I couldn't help but think "but... there are already far too many of us, and those big cats are endangered".

Mountain lions are endangered up your way? Damn things are over running us out here.

As a species overall, they're doing fine but there are definitely populations and subspecies that are in trouble.

I'm not sure about things up Leslie's way, but our smaller FL subspecies is not doing well at all. (habitat loss due to development.)

I have zero problem with the poaching of the poachers.

The lives of the elephants are more valuable IMHO.

gamby wrote: I have zero problem with the poaching of the poachers. The lives of the elephants are more valuable IMHO.

Hmmm make it legal to hunt pouchers or maybe even offer bounties.