Politics | August 03, 2008 | 18 comments

Last Desert Elephants in Firing Line

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julesrs007
SERIOUS alarm has been raised over official plans to shoot three of Namibia's rare desert-adapted elephant bulls in the Kunene Region as trophies for big-game hunters, which conservationists fear could cause a collapse in their dwindling numbers.

The permits for shooting what could be three of only five breeding-age elephant bulls left were issued in spite of warnings that this was unsustainable in a population that already showed alarming signs of high natural mortality and genetic problems due to in-breeding.

Documentation seen by The Namibian shows that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism had issued three hunting permits to six conservancies in the Kunene Region for shooting three elephant bulls in the current hunting season.

These conservancies, controlled by the local communities, typically sell their rights on to professional hunting companies, earning on average about N$60 000 per elephant.

The professional hunting firms however sell these on to wealthy hunters willing to pay up to US$60 000 for the privilege of bagging such a rare trophy.

The desert elephant, so called because of their smaller stature and physical adaptation to their arid environment, range in the dry riverbeds of southern Kunene where they feed primarily on Ana tree pods.

Regarded as a keystone species in the local eco-system, they are also a key attraction in Namibia's estimated N$6,2 billion tourism industry.

While the elephant largely keep to unpopulated areas, increasing encroachment from pastoral farmers have over the past years has brought them into conflict with local communities.

A man was killed in the Bergsig area late last year by a bull which a local NGO said had become aggressive after he had been previously shot at.

The Ministry has not, as far as could be established, conducted any recent census of the elephant population but apparently based its decisions on complaints from local communities about "problem animals."

According to research by Australian researcher Dr Keith Leggett, there are fewer than 240 of these elephant left in the southern Kunene Region, ranging from the Ugab to the Bergsig area further north.

Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA), a NGO that constantly monitors these elephants and manage conflict between the elephants and local populations by constructing elephant-proof water points, however says there are fewer than 60 adult cows, and as of 2006, only five bulls of breeding age.

EHRA's Johannes Haasbroek believes their and Leggett's data overlap, as the elephant range up 70 kilometres in a single day, with the herds of about six to 10 animals moving between rivers in search of food and water.

Even more alarmingly, EHRA reported on their website that they have only spotted three breeding-age bulls over the past few months -the same number as the trophies now up for sale.

The three permits appear to have been issued by Director of Wildlife Management Ben Beytell, in spite of several recommendations by the Ministry's own staff to the contrary.
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18 comments // Last Desert Elephants in Firing Line

  • sgallowa
    • 0
      sgallowa  

    • I am outraged that this is going on--don't we all love elephants deeply even as children? What is wrong with people who kill such divine creatures? Somehow driving up and using a rifle is a thrilling hunt? Ridiculous-- I just don't understand--WHAT can we do to stop this infernal business? I don't want to leave this up to G-d the Almighty to fix after we all leave this plane...can we write letters to the stupid hunting channel and the government of Namibia, our own gov't? the UN or Humane Society? We must unite and fight this idiocy and heartlessness.

    • 3 years ago
  • RobinClay
    • 0
      RobinClay  

    • Cut n Paste this into an e-mail to spray at your friends:-
      ----------------------------------------------
      Subject: PLEASE HELP !!!!

      Desert elephants!!!

      IT IS URGENT !!!!!!!!!!

      LAST DESERT ELEPHANTS IN FIRING LINE!!!!!!

      PLEASE HELP !!!!!

      THIS EMAIL MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN FORWARDED
      TO YOU AND MAY COME ROUND SEVERAL MORE TIMES.
      PLEASE JUST SCROLL DOWN TO THE END AND ADD
      YOUR NAME TO THE LIST AND FORWARD IT ...
      PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING.

      PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE
      ON YOUR MAILING LIST.

      Serious alarm has been raised over official plans
      to shoot three of Namibia's rare desert elephant
      bulls in the Kunene Region.

      The permit for shooting what could be three of
      only five breeding-age elephants bulls left were
      issued in spite of warnings that this was
      unsustainable in a population that already showed
      alarming signs of high natural mortality and
      genetic problems due to in-breeding.

      Killing a key tourist attraction is short-sighted
      and could damage Namibia's international reputation
      as a tourist destination.

      SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW,
      COPY THIS E-MAIL AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS

      AND REMEMBER:

      IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US

      IF YOU ARE NO. 100, PLEASE E-MAIL TO:

      bbeytell@mweb.com.na mailto:bbeytell@mweb.com.na

      who will collate, and remove duplicates before submittal.

      01) Rekekka Kallekela - Tourism
      02) Hannah Porteus - Tourism
      03) Francois Visser _ Tourism
      04) Cathy Visser - Tourism
      05) Ria Aretz - Exclusive Africa Tours & Safaris
      06) Stephanie du Toit - Exclusive Africa Tours & Safaris
      07) Hans Soltau - Exclusive Africa Tours & Safaris
      08) Nina Soltau - Exclusive Africa Tours & Safaris
      09) Heidrun Wenzel - SWA Safaris
      10) Birgit Günther - Otweya Travel
      11) Conny Louw - Southern Cross Safaris
      12) Bettina v.Mallinckrodt
      13) Rainhardt Wagner
      14) Stefan Wagner
      15) E.v.Mallinckrodt
      16) I.v.Mallinckrodt
      17) H. Schneider
      18) Birgit Leicher
      19) Hans Leicher
      20) UTE VON LUDWIGER
      21) Klaus von Ludwiger
      22) Fritz Schenk
      23) Marie Schenk
      24) Danie van Niekerk
      25) Malinda du Plessis
      26) Sabine Engelbrecht
      27) Jaco Engelbrecht
      28) Hu & Conny Berry - Specialist Namibian Tour Guides
      29) Marleece Jordaan - TAN
      30) Inge Glaue
      31) Christa Schemmer
      32) Hildegard Becker
      33) Hanjo Böhme
      34) Benita Böhme
      35) Axel von der Wense
      36) Almut von der Wense
      37) Sylvia Walkden-Davis
      38) Allan Walkden-Davis
      39) Karen MacKay
      40) Alex MacKay
      41) Crispin Clay
      42) Ortrud Clay
      43) Robin Clay
      44) Susie Clay

    • 3 years ago
  • elephantjoe
    • 0
      elephantjoe  

    • we seriously need help on this matter. it is actually worse than reported, the government has issued 6 permits on the last 20 big bulls left and 12 had already been shot last year. we need to respond to the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and the president with a plea to reconsider. the hunters are in the field already. i do research, and help troubled communities in this area, but all advice on unsustainability had been ignored
      with thanks
      joe

    • 3 years ago
  • onechance
    • 0
      onechance  

    • Not to rip on you, but what's with posting hopeless news and NO WAY TO ACT AGAINST IT?

      Please provide a link to a petition or something at least. If you can't find one, make one.

      Please.

    • 3 years ago
  • ace_ofgabriel
  • elephantjoe
    • 0
      elephantjoe  
    • onechance:

      Some comments i see, great. you ask what you could do? we need as many people as possible to bombard the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and even the Namibian president with e-mails to halt this. it is even worse than reported. they issued 6 permits, and there are only perhaps 20 large bulls left in the desert. 12 where shot last year. this is against advice from my organization that actually does research on them. please help as a matter of great urgency, as the hunters are in the field already. with thanks

    • 3 years ago
  • ace_ofgabriel
  • kai5640
  • squilla1123
    • 0
      squilla1123  

    • Its absurd that the backward-thinking "government" of Namibia would consider letting this happen.Unfortunately their tiny unevolved brains cant comprehend the value of a living thing as opposed to a "trophy"purchased by so-called hunters who sit in a vehicle and shoot from a half mile away.I would hope the names of the killers would be made public.What kind of idiot would do such a thing.Once again we find that humans are the enemies of all other inhabitants of our planet.We are truly the worst thing to ever happen to the earth.

    • 3 years ago
  • dazzleemdead
  • Freakna
    • 0
      Freakna  

    • Just Put down the Gun and walk away. simple as that, if the species is rare and you may die for shooting one avoid the adrenaline and walk away.

    • 3 years ago
  • BillionJawingNeurons
  • J_Jammer
  • HolyCity2012
  • PlatoTacius
    • 0
      PlatoTacius  

    • How clever of them to have a ready excuse for the prospect of killing these elephant bulls and the prospect of the money that will be made at the cost of more diversity being lost to the greed and avarice of fools...

    • 3 years ago
  • MeganMcKenzie
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  

    • That is awful - how could they pander to the bloodlust and inflated egos of the super-rich at the cost of a fast-dwindling natural resource which brings in so much more money from eco-tourism?

    • 3 years ago
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