According to this month's issue of Africa Geographic magazine (http://www.africa-geographic.com/adocs/ahome.asp), Botswana in general, and the Okavango Delta specifically, is being damaged by several factors, one being elephant. The article, "Delta Blues" states they are considering culling up to 100,000 elephant.
Posts: 3931 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 27 September 2002
I guess I'll also have to do my duty and help poor Botswana with this problem.
On the serious side, lets hope that Botswana acts wisely in this matter and lets forign hunters do most of the job. This would undoubtably bring in more income than just having the government cull them... Lets also hope that the price comes down to a reasonable level...
Erik D.
Posts: 2662 | Location: Oslo, in the naive land of socialist nepotism and corruption... | Registered: 10 May 2002
Sport hunting and culling are as different as night and day. I would think the hunting permits will be at max, but still a need for culling. Sport hunting will never keep up with the needs of a well managed herd. Of course this shows how endangered the Elephant is, eh.
Posts: 5338 | Location: Bedford, Pa. USA | Registered: 23 February 2002
The area we use there is fabulous. It's right next to the delta and teems with Elephants and other game. Yet the Government only gives us a quota of 5 elephants per year and when we applied to extend that by another 3 for this year only they turned us down.......where's the sense in that?
The hunting permits are no where near max if they have to cull. Or other wise they are not giving out nearly enough permits or charging to much for them. If they neen elphants killed make it easy to sport hunt.
They would not only make money from the permits they would make lots of money from all the other things hunter buy and use.
Posts: 19585 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001
I was told by some Botswanans we met that the US bunny huggers have a lot of power there, and have told the government that they will "sabatoge" photo turism by giving Botswana a bad reputation/name if hunting increases. Wouldn't suprise me too much if this was true... Apparently they have a blind eye when it comes to the area that elephants damage, with subsequent loss of other smaller wildlife as the result. The bunny huggers will never learn it seems...
The same article also cited proposed corporate development of game lodges, hotels and a casino in the Delta, as well as out-of-control grazing and unregulated fishing. Any way you look at it, the eles and other species are going to lose.
Posts: 1046 | Location: Kerrville, Texas USA | Registered: 02 August 2001
An interesting read about elephant culling is "Mahohboh" by Ron Thomson. His contention is that with the elephants now confined to smaller and smaller areas, the numbers must be controlled or they will devastate the remaining lands.
It's not just American bunny huggers, don't forget to include the Japanese and European "greens".
Posts: 3277 | Location: Western Slope Colorado, USA | Registered: 17 August 2001
Amen to that! It's all socialist bunny huggers who don't have a clue. They seem to think that Nature will take it's course but forget that the balance is forever changed. Habitat destruction has made barren areas due to overpopulation of the Natives and the over-protection of the Elephants.
When I first read this my guess is they want to replace the elephants with cattle. Maybe an extra half-million plus if they truly took out 100,000 elephants.
The Bots gov't has wanted to farm the Delta for decades only the Tsetse fly has kept them out. I heard there was a new programme to eradiciate the Tsetse fly. Maybe it has succeeded.
Before we all get too excited does anyone know the population of elephants in Botswana? As previously said I've heard about the 120,000 mark.(?)
Posts: 10138 | Location: Wine Country, Barossa Valley, Australia | Registered: 06 March 2002
When I hunted Botswana in 1988 two things stood out to me: 1.Elephants were totally protected and they were destroying the riverine bush along the Linyante and Savute. 2.They were spraying DDT from c-130's to kill the tsetse so they could graze cattle. I'm sure both are still hapening 15 years later, except they do allow a minimum number of elephants to be shot on license.
Bravo
Posts: 109 | Location: New Mexico,USA | Registered: 06 June 2002
Quote: The bunny huggers will never learn it seems... www.dunia.no
If would be very tragic if a few bunny huggers got stomped by the "little and friendly" elephants. I imagnie the greenies would change their opinion quick
Great, when "careing" greenies are at work then nature has to suffer
