I really wish that this was a topic that I knew more about. But I don’t. I have read a few articles and that’s about it.
So I wanted to ask what the story is? What is up with culling, why is it banned and why is it being unbanned?
Apparently there is something being said about too many elephants per square kilometre to ensure that there is no harm being done to the landscape and various other concerns. While activists are saying that there is absolutely no scientific evidence to prove that culling works, or that the elephants are doing any harm at all.
Thus I am confused. Could someone please clear this up for me, or at least put some valuable explanation forward. I’ll publish the best responses to the debate so that SA Rocks readers might have a better understanding of the situation, options and possible outcomes.
Personal and ignorant opinion, culling elephants is not cool at all.
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February 27th, 2008 at 9:50 am
I think this article has a pretty decent write up of it:
http://www.timesurl.at/f60ffe
1) Man is playing God (like it or not) and has established Nature Reserves in order to conserve ALL forms of Biodiversity, as well as to protect them from us and us from them.
2) “Armchair Conservationists/Activists” are radical and play on peoples emotions towards elephants. Their so called “scientific evidence” (against culling) is flimsy when compared to decades of research that has been done on the impacts of Elephant.
3) Elephants are by nature destructive feeders! And so 20 000 of them ARE going to have an impact on ALL surrounding biodiversity.
4) Relocation of elephants is ‘prohibitively expensive’, and you actually need to find willing buyers first…much of Southern Africa is having the same problem with elephant numbers.
5) Contraception is also expensive, difficult to implement and not totally effective. It has also been linked to increased stress/death among those female elephants AND increased aggression among young male elephants.
6) NOBODY enjoys culling these majestic animals, NOBODY is just going out on a whim and saying “Hey, Wouldn’t it be cool to go and shoot some elephant today?!”. Culling Vs Killing are two VERY different things.
7) This debate has been going on for many years and has involoved thousands of stakeholders, affected land owners, activists and renowned researchers and (unfortunately) culling has come out as the only VIABLE option at this stage, in order to control a population of 20 000 that should only be about 7 or 8000.
Regards,
Russell
February 27th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Thanks Russel! Very detailed response, much appreciated!