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[Koomaster]

Yikes at not only the elephants being poisoned but those animals feeding off the elephants. This is a good way to wreck an ecosystem. I wonder what the total loss of animal life has been so far related to this?

Also to the people saying they need to do this to feed their families... what happened to hunting an animal for its food and then eating that? I don't think a few families hunting for food would need to eat 300 elephants plus all the other animals dead now.

Anyway, if they keep poisoning all these animals, hunting for food won't even be an option if the whole ecosystem there gets wrecked to hell.

 

[The Smoking Bun]

Honest question. What do people, especially middle class Asians who aren't exactly rich do with the Ivory? How is it a safe investment?

 

[ComputerMKII]

Also to the people saying they need to do this to feed their families... what happened to hunting an animal for its food and then eating that? I don't think a few families hunting for food would need to eat 300 elephants plus all the other animals dead now.

Kill an elephant for food -> Get food for one month (provided elephant meat is even good for humans to eat)

Kill an elephant for money -> Buy food for one year

 

[anaron]

Goddamnit, is this ever going to stop?

 

[Erehtih]

God this is upsetting.. Reminds me of those hunters who took smiling pictures of the lions they killed

 

[Valkerionseven]

In asian countries (china) ivory is thought to give virility/erections, ever since china came up economically and has been investing in African countries, ivory poaching has been a big problem again. Its a good investment because sex treatment is a good business. This is a whole nother argument/thread though, like how they market sex pills/treatments for things that are not actual medical conditions, but if there is enough marketing/doctors paid to support it, they can make money off it. Female Viagra anyone?

Just recently the black rhino was called extinct because of the same reason.

And though it is true most African countries are not in fact starving, human rights violating, pits of suffering black people... Zimbabwe is pretty much one of those.

 

[rrs]

Honest question. What do people, especially middle class Asians who aren't exactly rich do with the Ivory? How is it a safe investment?

Stuff that looks pretty has been a "safe" investment since trading began

 

[Oppo]

Kill an elephant for food -> Get food for one month (provided elephant meat is even good for humans to eat)

Kill an elephant for money -> Buy food for one year

Kill all elephants > no more food, everyone starves except for a few guys who starve a few years later

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

Goddamnit, is this ever going to stop?

Yes, when elephants are extinct. Not a moment sooner. There is no way to stop poaching 100%.

 

[Deleted member 13876]

Stuff that looks pretty has been a "safe" investment since trading began

China has also been increasingly interested in minerals and precious gems.

 

[Devolution]

Stupid fucking assholes and their need for rhino horn, elephant tusk and tiger bone.

 

[Horse Detective]

Stupid fucking assholes and their need for rhino horn, elephant tusk and tiger bone.

Probably the most accurate assessment that will be posted.

 

[Forsete]

I'd totally go poacher hunting, they should make that a sport.

I would sign up for this.

 

[The Tofunator]

Let these poachers kill all the elephants. Hell, let them kill everything around them. We'll see what happens to these people then when there's nothing left to kill but each other.

 

[Lamel]

And how many poor/starving people in Africa DO NOT do this?

Keep trying to excuse it.

This is hardly an effective counter-argument to poisoning several hundred animals.

I will not type here what I think of poachers; it's not fit even for the internet.

Not trying to justify it at all, just trying to understand it a bit more.

This is absolutely a heinous act, and can't be excused.

Poverty doesn't necessarily translate to starvation. His post felt like it was made in the context of famine, which Zimbabwe isn't exactly known for.

Sure, but poverty translates to a lot of hardships, which can sometimes include starvation.

 

[Partial Gamification]

China has also been increasingly interested in minerals and precious gems.

edit: from the article in OP

The water was discovered to contain cyanide – available cheaply for use in informal gold mining that is conducted locally.

and:

ZIMBABWEAN authorities have kept a tight lid on the discovery of diamonds in the south-western Tsholotsho district to avert a rush by hungry villagers, documents seen on Wednesday confirm.

Late last year, diamond deposits were discovered in Marange district, Manicaland Province, sparking a rush which saw the police arrest over 20 000 fortune hunters.

A confidential letter, written by Titus Nyatanga, the Director of Mining Promotion and Development in the Ministry of Mines to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) said diamonds were discovered last year in Tsholotsho.
2009 source

older article with before the aerial count:

[...]
In an interview yesterday, the officer-in-charge of Tsholotsho Police Station, Chief Inspector Muyambirwa Muzzah, said the parks game rangers patrolling near Pelandaba area in Tsholotsho which borders the national park, heard gunshots on 24 August and made a report to the police.

“They went with the police to investigate and found two elephants that had been killed and dehorned. On further investigation, inside the game park, they found rotting carcasses of dehorned elephants. There were tracks, made by three people near the animals and they followed those to the Mafu homestead,” said Chief Insp Muzzah.

He said the elder Mafu led the police to the hidden cache of 17 tusks and the police laid a trap for the rest of the gang members.
“The Mafus called Chitsa on his cellphone, which was put on loudspeaker and told him to come for the stuff as it was ready. Chitsa came to the game park with the rest of the suspects in Senwayo’s kombi and they were arrested,” said Chief Insp Muzzah.

He said as they were being escorted to Tsholotsho Police Station, the gang was injured when the kombi overturned, in a suspected dash for freedom.

He said the police suspected that Chitsa could be the mastermind of the poaching racket as he was believed to be the one who supplied the cyanide and is thought to be the one in charge of selling the tusks.
It will go back on the food chain and hundreds of animals may end up dead,” said Insp Muzzah.
He said sentences that were given to poachers were not deterrent.
“In May we arrested some people for killing five elephants using the same modus operandi and they were each sentenced to just two years in prison. Police recovered 17 tusks weighing about 161,88 kilogrammes,” said Chief Insp Muzzah.

“Police are investigating the extent to which the syndicates were involved in the poaching of elephants at Hwange and are appealing to members of the public who might have information to approach Tsholotsho Police Station.”

Chief Insp Muzzah said 69 elephants were killed by poachers in the area between May and August.
5 September

 

[diamount]

Goddamnit, is this ever going to stop?

When people decide ivory isn't worth anything.

 

[SwiftDeath]

That is the most horrific thing I've heard in a long long time

Honestly something more should be done about poaching in sub-Saharan africa

 

[Azuran]

This are really depressing news for conversation biology majors like me. Sometimes it feels like a chose a pointless career choice when stuff like this keeps happening and no one wants to help out.

There's only so much a couple of people can do.

 

[crozier]

Mostly murdering the white people that knew how to run them.

Fixed

 

[maquiladora]

Prepare yourselves for the "Humans are a cancer to Earth." posts.

We are.

 

[Amentallica]

Prepare yourselves for the "Humans are a cancer to Earth." posts.

You seem to suggest it isn't true.

 

[foxuzamaki]

They laced waterholes with cyanide? Not only does that kill the elephants but any other animal that drinks from that source. Lions, hyenas, and other animals also died eating the corpses.

That's a potential water source gone to waste incase they're caught in a situation where you need a drink

 

[Ryaaan14]

Stupid fucking assholes and their need for rhino horn, elephant tusk and tiger bone.

Fun fact, Rhino horns are made entirely of keratin. The same material hair and nails are made from! :_o

 

[FunkyMunkey]

This fills me with an emotion that is far beyond rage. I can't even come up with a word.

 

[Sadsic]

when all these things are dead we're gonna look really bad to the universe

 

[Partial Gamification]

This fills me with an emotion that is far beyond rage. I can't even come up with a word.

elephuckenviropoisonous

 

[rexor0717]

Hunt the poachers.

 

[Mr Swine]

So what happens when the Eco system in Africa collapses when they hunt all animals to extinction? I'm afraid that elephants, rhinos, tigers, lions and the other animals will be extinct in less than 15 years from now :/

 

[LogicStep]

There should be a campaign in all of these countries that are a market for it that demonizes ivory. Make a campaign that is graphic and makes people that like and use ivory to be looked down upon by the rest of the population, show the horrible things people do to these animals. Maybe the social pressure and stigma that would rise from this help cut down on the trade. Make it illegal to buy or sell or even own these things. I dunno, it just makes me sad to see all of those dead animals for this bullshit.

 

[The Tofunator]

So what happens when the Eco system in Africa collapses when they hunt all animals to extinction? I'm afraid that elephants, rhinos, tigers, lions and the other animals will be extinct in less than 15 years from now :/

The poaches will then move on to the most dangerous game.

 

[Akainu]

I think it's about time we just take all the animals out of africa.

 

[jerry1594]

It's sickening for sure.

But a lot of these poachers would likely die of starvation if they didn't have that income source.

yeah and now they're going to eat 1800 tons of elephant meat. lol get real

 

[CurlySaysX]

what is so great about ivory that makes people want to see this happen just to own a piece of it?
Why can't some clever chemical engineer or related persons work on developing some synthetic tusks and sell the shit by the bucket load to the savages that desire elephant tusks.
Why is the UN so fucking useless?

 

[Buddha Beam]

Our entire population is not working towards a single goal.

There are groups of people that dedicate enormous amounts of time to preventing acts like this.

That's nice. We're still a cancer on this planet collectively, though.

what is so great about ivory that makes people want to see this happen just to own a piece of it?
Why can't some clever chemical engineer or related persons work on developing some synthetic tusks and sell the shit by the bucket load to the savages that desire elephant tusks.
Why is the UN so fucking useless?

A lot of it comes from China nowadays in particular. They almost certainly wouldn't go for it if it was synthetic. It's usually based on some imbecilic spiritual/religious/whatever type belief.

 

[Hours Left]

Absolutely despicable.

The very definition of human scum.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Prepare yourselves for the "Humans are a cancer to Earth." posts.

Well, they are. If not a cancer, at least a bad STD.

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

Well, they are. If not a cancer, at least a bad STD.

Mars is responsible, with its panspermia. Mars is a pervert.

 

[Lautaro]

Why is the UN so fucking useless?

Elephants have no armies.

 

[shira]

Hurry up science make some synthetic ivory tusks so people don't have to cyanide bomb watering holes.

 

[The Tofunator]

Hurry up science make some synthetic ivory tusks so people don't have to cyanide bomb watering holes.

But natural ivory tusks are so much better because magical fairy dust.

 

[Error]

despicable pieces of shit, I really don't understand how these people can be ok with making a living of this. Just terrible.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Hurry up science make some synthetic ivory tusks so people don't have to cyanide bomb watering holes.

When I was at the Toronto Zoo in June they had little carved statues that seemed to be ivory. They were actually made form some kind of nut, but looked and felt exactly like ivory.

 

[Zuhzuhzombie!!]

A fucking holocaust against poachers. I demand it.

 

[Professor Renegade]

Disgusting, I would hate to see these animals face extinction.

 

[Kickz]

Don't even get me started on how these are poor people trying to feed their families. I don't care, saving elephants is far more crucial than saving a few humans. There are lots of us, and fewer and fewer elephants every year.

well this is stupid

 

[Kickz]

Stupid fucking assholes and their need for rhino horn, elephant tusk and tiger bone.

Agreed, if you want to shoot someone, aim the rifle at the buyers. Not some starving African

 

[Archaeopteryx]

well this is stupid

How so?

 

[Gattsu25]

How so?

Neither goal is mutually exclusive.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Neither goal is mutually exclusive.

I know, and maybe I worded my response wrong (or I was a little angry at the moment). Of course humans are worth saving, but in this situation I think the elephants should take precedence. Poachers are scum, simple as that.