3/1/2006: Poisoned elephants die

[Happy Monkey]

I'm not sure dumping poison in a water hole requires much organization.

[capnhowdy]

Sad picture. Pisses me right on off.

I'd like to see a video of these people CANING AN ELEPHANT. Bet that wouldn't last long. Ground Sumatri. I hope they get caught.

Wait till Leah hears about this one.

[xoxoxoBruce]

She has. I sent it to her before I came to the Cellar today and saw it was the IOtD.

[Leah]

Ok it's my say now, Bruce did forward the photo to me this morning, cheers Bruce, but I've just logged on and saw the whole story.
Everyone who knows me knows that I love elephants and go to Thailand once a year to be with them, train with them and indeed help them (I'm going again in June for 3 weeks).
All I can say is that I hope the remaining elephants in that park/reserve have the courage and the will to find those responsible and take out revenge, big revenge.
Elephants are very clever animals, they will know who did this by the smell and the tracks of the hunters. They will, in time hunt those hunters responsible for this and trample them to death. I want to read about the revenge plot taken out. You go girls, you go. Take your revenge, I have no sympathy for anyone who does this kind of crime. Cowards, bastards, monsters.

[Leah]

Ah, you know me well. If I had known it came from the Cellar, I would have been on earlier. Work could have waited, this is much more important then borning work.
Bruce always keeps me up-to-date with things he finds, especially anything he finds about elephants, Sorry Bruce if I've told everyone about your soft spot. Love that guy heaps, he looks after me.
Still pissed about the elephants murdered, just wait for the revenge.

[capnhowdy]

I told you.

[wolf]

I sincerely hope that in this case karma works in the most people misunderstand it to work. (i.e., immediate, fitting retribution in this lifetime)

[York]

I hope they cath the killers and pull out their teeth one by one and than leave them without water or food...

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Elephants, plural? If the poacher had used a gun, the elephant with tusks would probably have been the only one killed, since they obviously didn't want anything else from the bodies. Five fewer dead would have been a bit better. And one dead elephant might not have made IOTD.

From The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust:

In residence at the time was Tsavo's "DIKA", a little Elephant who at 3 months old had witnessed the brutal massacre of his entire family by Somali poacher/bandits, and whose grieving had spanned four long months.

I've always been under the impression that poachers tend to wipe out everything possible, guns or not. I've seen documentaries that detailed the destruction of entire herds, baby elephants and all, with any weapon that would permit it by groups of people. Guns are the norm, but so are deep pits with sharp spikes. The means vary, but the end is always the same.

I find it very sad, but the emotional reaction to it is interesting. I could grab a semi automatic rifle, walk into the woods, and slaughter deer for nothing but fun and be praised as a great sportsman. Posion some elephants to get ivory to make some cash in a country where the economy has all but died and people somehow draw a parallel to domestic abuse.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I could grab a semi automatic rifle, walk into the woods, and slaughter deer for nothing but fun and be praised as a great sportsman.

Praised as a great sportsman? No. Accepted as a hunter? Yes.
Because;
It's legal.
You're killing one.
You're not killing babies
Deer are more than abundant.
Presumably,either you or someone else would eat it. Although that's not required, it is expected.