Condé Nast - Elephants
 

The March 2006 issue of Condé Nast Traveler has a brief, but excellent article on elie's in Southern Africa and the prospect for culling them in the near future.

Many of you will find it very interesting.

James

James
Could you enlighten us a little more to this article as most of us on this forum do not live in the USA and have no access to the Conde Naste mag. Do you have an online link so that we may all read the article online or do you have an ulterior motive. I wonder.

Try www.cntraveler.com

Conde Nast publishes an international edition, not only in the US.

Unless there may be some gay ellees, I can't see any ulterior motive!

Sandi - Getting a little spunky, are we? ;-)

In the UK Conde Nast publish a different edition of the magazine (spelt Traveller for a start!)

I'll keep an eye out for an international edition.

Gizzy
It is pretty common for regulars here to share information on any magazines, newspaper articles or TV programmes that we think might interest our fellow Africaphiles... since I definitely haven't noticed James pushing Conde Nast before, I'd assume he's simply being helpful rather than hiding some secret ulterior motive! :D

Update on culling in SA -

GOVERNMENT is to stay any move to begin culling elephants in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Reuters reports that the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, which last year set up a panel of experts to advise on how best to deal with high elephant numbers, has taken the experts’ recommendation that culling as an option be halted for the time being.

Rudi van Aarde, ecologist at the University of Pretoria, is quoted as saying that it is unclear how long the government’s postponement will hold, and that at least another three months of research needs to be done into the impact and necessity of culling.

Deat’s decision comes after months of outcry by animal welfare groups that cited culling as a cruel way to manage elephant numbers. Other scientists have, however, advocated the practice, saying it would serve as an effective means to lower high numbers and conserve biodiversity. Other options being considered are translocation, contraception and creating more space. Culling has received the most attention though as there are concerns that it would put tourists off visiting the country’s big parks.

The latest elephant population figures show that the KNP is about 300% overstocked. The last time South Africa practiced culling was in 1995.

BTW, as some of you have met and been on safari with Chris Bakkes (WS guide in Namibia), you may be interested to know that he is featured a bit in the article.

JW

Sandi -

Touché :-))

Jim and Sharon -

Couldn't resist.

(one of these days I'll have the time to figure out the smileys!)

I haven't read the article but I've read bits and pieces about this culling that they are considering. How many are they talking about culling? I think I have read the number somewhere but can't remember. Wouldn't it have to be a significant number to make a difference? What methods have they used to cull? I've only heard/read about shooting them with bullets. Have they ever culled by shooting them with lethal doses of drugs?

sandi - the smileys are here
http://www.fodors.com/forums/smileys/

You can copy and paste the characters that generate the smiley

sundowner((#))

Sundowner.
The process is as humane, if one can say that, as it possibley gets. Scholine is the drug of choice or used to be. Once the animal is down it is normally then shot. to try and shoot the ele's from the air leaves too much room for error.

And yes it is a significant number that would be removed. In the past entire families have been taken out, that way attempting to reduce the stress on "unaccompanied" minors.

This is not fairy tale stuff and decisions to cull are only taken after exhaustive consideration.

Much has been said and there is plenty of info available through the web on this issue.

According to the article, they are considering a cull of up to 5000 in KNP.

Potential loss of tourism dollars is a major consideration for RSA. Tourism is the country's top earner of foreign currency ($8 billion last year).

Gizzy, re: "most of us on this forum do not live in the USA"

I didn't know that, but I'm curious. What are the numbers by country?

Thanks, Jack

Amboseli Trust for Elephants/Amboseli Elephant Research statement regarding the culling of elephants: http://www.elephantvoices.org/index....tement1-06.pdf

Nyamera,
Thank you for that article.
I hope you all won't hate me for saying this and no one in government ever talks about it even though it's a well known fact, but I just wish the world leaders could get a grip on the human "overpopulation" and maybe, just maybe, things could begin to balance back out without having to cull other beings on this earth. In a "perfect world" I suppose. :-(

Yes, we should cull some Fodorites – starting with the most unsustainable ones. Who has the most frequent flyer miles?

I think I need some smileys …

:-D :-D 8-X

divewop, I've had that same thought myself--haven't phrased it as gently, though. I'm probably a horrible person.

And Nyamera, now you're thinking! >:)

Divewop - Amen. :-)