*SLAUGHTER
OF BABY ELEPHANT IN ZIMBABWE *
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Date: February 20, 2007
6:32:10 AM GMT+00:00
ZCTF REPORT - feb
2007
ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION
TASK FORCE
18th February 2007
WARNING: THE PHOTO (shown below)IS NOT SUITABLE FOR PERSONS OF A
SENSITIVE NATURE.
SLAUGHTER OF BABY ELEPHANT
We have just received a very sad report from a gentleman named Dave
who resides in the UK.
In October last year, Dave came to Zimbabwe to do a walk through
the bush from Kariba to Binga. He deliberately timed his walk to
begin at the end of October because he knew the hunting season was
officially over by then but he was surprised to discover that
hunting was still in full swing. Many of the hunters he encountered
did not want him anywhere near their concessions and he was
threatened with a "shooting accident".
The day after he received the threat, National Parks picked him up
and removed him from the area. He assumes they must have received a
complaint about him from the hunters.
On the Eastern shoreline of the Sengwa basin, Dave came across 2
baby elephants that appeared to have been abandoned. One was very
thin but alive and the other had been speared and butchered to
death.
Dave took another photo of the dead baby from a different angle. We
have attached this photo rather than including it in the body of
the report because some of our readers will find it extremely
upsetting.
Anyone who would like to see it can open the attachment.
Dave was at a loss to understand why these 2 babies had been
abandoned by their mothers because there was plenty of vegetation
for the herds to feed on. The one baby was about 18 months old and
the other, only a
couple of months old. Knowing how closely mother elephants bond
with their babies, he was mystified.
He believed he found the answer a few days later when he was at
Makuyu Fishing Camp. He struck up a conversation with an employee
of Ivan Carter Safaris which was situated nearby. Dave knew Ivan
Carter so he
asked the employee where he was. The employee replied that Mr
Carter had taken a client to shoot a bull elephant. He then added
that they had shot 2 cows earlier in the week. Although Dave has no
proof, he feels sure the 2 cows were the mothers of the abandoned
babies. He then asked the employee why he was still working long
after the official hunting season was over and he replied that if
clients were willing to pay, they would take them out any
time.
If anyone would like to verify the facts with Dave, please email us
at the address below as he has given us permission to release his
contact details.
Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
Tel: 263 4 336710 (temporarily out of order)
Fax/Tel: 263 4 339065 (temporarily out of order)
Mobile: 263 11 603 213
Email: galorand@mweb.co.zw
Website: www.zimbabwe-art.com
Website: www.zctf.mweb.co.zw
Reactions:
"I have recently received a
disturbing and very upsetting email about two baby elephants being
abandoned because their mothers have been
murdered.
I have
forwarded the email to Daphne Sheldrick who runs the David
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an orphanage for abandoned animals in
S.Africa.
What will happen to the surviving baby elephant and why was the
other one killed?
We are disgusted here in the UK that Prince Harry's girlfriend's
(Chelsy Davy) father runs a safari trophy hunting business where
clients can pay up to £5,000 to shoot an elephant. What hope is
there when the royal family here consorts with the likes of these
animal abusers (they are also animal abusers themselves).
In great despair."
* . * .
*
"Yes, I agree.
The report was very distressing. The reason I exposed it is because
it gives bad publicity to the safari company concerned and it
discourages them and other safari outfits from behaving in this
manner in the future.
The surviving
baby is probably dead by now because the incident took place at the
end of last year and the babies can't survive for long without
their mothers. I was only told about it just before I sent out
the report a couple of weeks ago so it was already too late to do
anything about it. The one that died was most likely killed by the
locals for food. I believe they took the heart and liver etc.,
obviously to eat because a lot of the local people here are
starving.
It was a good
idea to forward the email to Daphne Sheldrick
Regards"