Kruger park plans 'abhorrent' elephant cull

Mail & Guardian Online reporter and Sapa


18 November 2005 04:12

Scientists have blasted a plan to cull thousands of elephants in the Kruger National Park, instead recommending contraception to reduce numbers.

"This cull is abhorrent and needs to be stopped," Southern African Association for the Advancement of Science president Ian Raper said in Johannesburg on Friday.

"The technology involved in contraception has come a long way," he added.

The non-hormonal contraceptives, derived from pig proteins, show no side effects and can be administered from a helicopter at an annual cost of R1,4-million.

The South African National Parks board has proposed slaughtering between 5 000 and 7 000 elephants it claims are damaging the biodiversity of the Kruger National Park.

"Studies show that it is an elephant bull that pushes over trees. A cull would involve killing of herds which are made of females and babies," said Lawrence Anthony, founder of The Earth organisation, a South Africa-based international conservation group.

With little evidence that elephants are damaging the park, more research has to be done, he said, adding that a team of scientists will be put together to advise the government on the cull.

"With all of our expertise, knowledge and ability, we can certainly find a better solution to slaughtering them [elephants] by their thousands."

There is a growing concern that the underlying motivation for the cull is profit from the sale of elephant meat, skin and by-products -- estimated by The Earth organisation at R6,5-million for every 800 elephants killed.

New births will ensure a steady supply of meat -- and income -- if the cull takes place over many years, as is planned.

"This would, of course, explain the reluctance to fully explore contraception as a viable alternative, for contraception means no births, no meat and no extra income," Anthony said.

"An elephant slaughter of this size is unprecedented in international conservation history and will undoubtedly precipitate a concerted and international animal rights campaign directed at the cull," he said.

South African National Parks did not respond to the Mail & Guardian Online's queries on Friday afternoon.

Maybe they can institute an elephant adoption program akin the the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's horse and burro adoption program which ostensibly addresses the overpopulation problem.

I want to see the guy who puts the condoms on the bulls!

quote:

Originally posted by TJ:
I want to see the guy who puts the condoms on the bulls!

He'll be busy

Well, wouldn't it be better to sell the rights to hunt 7000 female elephants, and use that money for research?

It seems to me the problem with current hunting is we are elimenating from the genetic pool the very characteristic we want for a trophy, big ivory.

Anybody scene any 100 pound a side bulls lately???

GS

There's still some very good Elephants around in many parts of Africa. (including some 100 or close to 100 pounders) - Notably Mozambique, Tanzania and a few other countries.

IMO (Elephant) culling operations should be left to proper culling teams but I see no reason (other than legal) why sport hunters couldn't pay to hunt the bulls and that money be put into improving KNP facilities and research projects...... the problem is that the law requires a change in the constitution to make this possible.

You might like to consider reading Mahohoba by Ron Thompson which will explain the principles of Elephant management........