Ibt: Zimbabwe Elephants Cyanide Poisoning ‘Massacre’ Kills More Than 300 In Hwange National Park [Photos]

[China]

Zimbabwe Elephants Cyanide Poisoning ‘Massacre’ Kills More Than 300 In Hwange National Park 9PHOTOS)

 

An elephant, a cow and two calves dead at mineral site, Zimbabwe

 

In a disturbing development in the ongoing killing of wild African animals for profit, poachers in Zimbabwe’s largest game park have poisoned more than 300 elephants and other animals using cyanide, according to the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

 

Conservationists have called the mass killings the single worst massacre in southern Africa in the past 25 years, the Telegraph reports. Pictures of the dead animals have been shared by the news outlet, showing deflated corpses of elephants from Hwange National Park.

 

“In July, around 300 elephants had died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange and were discovered by a group of hunters who flew over the area,” Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, told the Agence France-Presse. “The authorities only stepped in in September, and by then the numbers had escalated. As of last week, about 325 had died altogether.”

 

Cyanide poisoning, a method first revealed in July, may be more widespread than previously thought. While Zimbabwean authorities say 100 animals have been killed by poisoning the animals’ watering holes and salt licks with the deadly chemical, hunters who have surveyed the area and took the photos say they counted more than 300 animal carcasses.

 

Sources say government officials have been threatening villagers, offering money to buy their silence on who the poachers are, The Standard reports. Rodrigues adds the government is downplaying the numbers in order to protect a sophisticated network of poachers that may include top government officials and law enforcement agents.

 

“The problem is that a big cover-up is going on,” he said. “Those who have been arrested and convicted are the small fry who are being used as scapegoats while the big and dangerous fish are untouched. These include politicians and big business people.”

 

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[Destino]

These elephants are a small example of the problem and show clearly how hard it is to get people to stop, despite the presence of extremely harsh consequences.  Humanity seems to be entirely unable to place environmental damage above immediate necessity.  Just ask yourself how many rivers near you are clean enough that you'd feel comfortable eating fish caught from it.  We are willing to cause amazing amounts of long lasting harm because it provides some people with some money, today.  

[Koolblue13]

That is truly sad. Humans just take.

[TradeTheBeal!]

We have seen the enemy...

[China]

We have seen the enemy...

 

[Riggo-toni]

Holy cow, someone referenced Pogo!

Now if someone references Asterix, I'll really freak out....

And I'm all for just lining up these poachers and shooting them, or at least cutting one of their arms off.

[China]

You have the gaul to mention Asterix?

[Corcaigh]

You have the gaul to mention Asterix?

 

Obelix would beat you with a menhir for that kind of pun.

[martytheman]

africa wins again.

 

there's no saving that ****hole, and no turning the backwards people who live there around.

too bad the animals have to suffer because of their stupidity and cruelty.

[Burgold]

Spoke to Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force about this.  So many parts of this are wrong: from corrupt politicians, to what the cyanide actually does, to the syndicates who prey on these animals.

 

In July, the already endangered African elephant took another murderous hit as more than 300 elephants died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange. They were discovered by a group of hunters who flew over the area. VOR's Andrew Hiller spoke with Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

 

This dark trend started two years ago when Chinese prospectors in the northeast of the country poisoned ten elephants using cyanide. Rodrigues says that cyanide joined the poachers’ tool kit because it is silent and doesn't attract attention. Despite being illegal, it is also an extremely painful method of killing. 

 

Although, Rodrigues says he and others are trying to stop the killings, there are many obstacles. He says there are strong allegations that some politicians are involved. That is in part because, even though the trade of ivory has been banned since 1989, the black market is still quite active, especially in the Far East.

Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/us/2013_10_23/325-elephants-murdered-with-cyanide-in-Zimbabwe-7860/

[Spartacus87]

These elephants are a small example of the problem and show clearly how hard it is to get people to stop, despite the presence of extremely harsh consequences.  Humanity seems to be entirely unable to place environmental damage above immediate necessity.  Just ask yourself how many rivers near you are clean enough that you'd feel comfortable eating fish caught from it.  We are willing to cause amazing amounts of long lasting harm because it provides some people with some money, today.  

The problem is, there usually aren't "harsh consequences" for these types of crimes in many of the African countries that have wildlife parks.

 

It's often difficult to find most of the people involved in these sorts of poaching rings, and once they do, it's even harder to prosecute them and lock them up for good.

 

These are activities that are driven by international black market poachers who have deep pockets and large networks of people working for them - it's virtually impossible to track down the "higher ups" in these types of organizations.  Especially when so much of this type of activity is connected through extremely poor countries where government officials are part of the money chain.  Guys get arrested after these types of crimes, but it's usually just some poor, local villagers who knew the terrain well enough to do the job, and were offered enough money to feed their families for a couple of weeks.

 

To really make an impact, you would need a strong, multinational task force who had the funding and the power to infiltrate and arrest and prosecute the upper-level people involved, and they would have to basically be as incorruptable as Eliot Ness and The Untouchables.  

 

Good luck navigating the politics of Africa and southern Asia to put that group together.

[The Sisko]

africa wins again.

 

there's no saving that ****hole, and no turning the backwards people who live there around.

too bad the animals have to suffer because of their stupidity and cruelty.

So I suppose after the Newtown massacre people in other parts of the world would be justified in concluding that Canadians like to mass murder children. Or maybe they'd be justified in thinking you're into cutting off heads like the Mexican cartels to protect your drug turf. After all, all those North Americans are all the same regardless of nationality, culture, individuality, etc.

 

Nothing like generalization and painting things with a broad brush. Great job! You've got a billion or so people all figured out.

[Dan T.]

So the elephants didn't poison themselves in humiliation of being the symbol of the GOP?

[martytheman]

So I suppose after the Newtown massacre people in other parts of the world would be justified in concluding that Canadians like to mass murder children. Or maybe they'd be justified in thinking you're into cutting off heads like the Mexican cartels to protect your drug turf. After all, all those North Americans are all the same regardless of nationality, culture, individuality, etc.

 

Nothing like generalization and painting things with a broad brush. Great job! You've got a billion or so people all figured out.

 

 

yeah because things like that are isolated incidents in africa.

we're talking about a place that thinks raping babies cures aids.. but keep on with the ridiculous comparisons.

[RVAbrendan]

This is pretty sad, but I feel hypocritical making a comment about it as I admittedly eat meat that I'm sure is produced in a factory-farm where the animals suffering is way more than what these elephants went through.

 

I remember once when I was a kid, I was at McDonalds with some friends when the topic of animal cruelty came up. Obviously, nobody likes to see an animal being abused, such as a dog or cat. But as I was taking a bite of my hamburger, I said "I hate animal cruelty" and soon thereafter felt a little silly

[The Sisko]

yeah because things like that are isolated incidents in africa.

we're talking about a place that thinks raping babies cures aids.. but keep on with the ridiculous comparisons.

 

My bad. You're right. EVERY African on the continent participates in, supports or agrees with the nonsense we read about going on there whereas people in North America can be judged on their own individual merit. I guess I was wrong to think not all Indians are rapists, not all Arabs are Moozlum terrorists, and that some White guys can in fact jump. What the heck is wrong with me? Sorry about that.

[Spartacus87]

This is pretty sad, but I feel hypocritical making a comment about it as I admittedly eat meat that I'm sure is produced in a factory-farm where the animals suffering is way more than what these elephants went through.

 

I remember once when I was a kid, I was at McDonalds with some friends when the topic of animal cruelty came up. Obviously, nobody likes to see an animal being abused, such as a dog or cat. But as I was taking a bite of my hamburger, I said "I hate animal cruelty" and soon thereafter felt a little silly

I don't think the two situations are comparable at all.

 

While I believe that more could be done in regards to treating farm animals in more humane ways, at the end of the day, they're still farm animals.  Very high populations of common animals born and bred specifically to produce beneficial items for people.

 

These are endangered wild animals being killed for stupid reasons such as, at best, tasteless and archaic status symbols and decoration pieces, and at worst, to supply key ingredients for nonsensical ancient medicines.

 

Killing a cow to create steaks and cheeseburgers to feed a family is one thing.  Killing a Black Rhino so one person can grind down its horn into a powder that will hopefully cure a cancer is a totally different story.

 

On a somewhat related note - the American Buffalo almost went extinct until people had the bright idea to start breeding and raising buffalo as livestock, which in turn created a regulated market for buffalo meat and hides while preserving natural buffalo.  The idea has been floated before of trying the same approach with elephants and rhinos, but again a trust issue comes up in terms of who would be responsible for maintaining said elephant/rhino "farms."

[China]

Poacher shot dead in Zimbabwe game park

 

Harare (AFP) - Rangers killed a poacher in a Zimbabwe game park last week as security was stepped up at wildlife parks following this year's mass poisoning of elephants, wildlife authorities said Monday.

 

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority said the unidentified poacher was shot by rangers at Matusadonha game reserve, in the northwest of the country, during a shootout between the rangers and four poachers.

 

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