GAIA

Elephant insanity

Recently, the powers behind animal ‘conservation’ have made another stupid decision, similar to one made some 2 decades ago.

To end poaching and the slaughter of endangered African elephants for their ivory tusks, the government of Gabon burned to ashes 5 tons of confiscated tusks and allowed the media to showcase the bonfire.

The tusks and ivory were worth  $14,000,000 and representing some 850 killed elephants. (Data and images from http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/27/12446018 elephant-tusks-ivory-torched-to-keep-out-of-smugglers-hands? lite)

 This was done with WWF support and general applause in the western media.

But this burning  -- like the one some 2 decades ago which destroyed an estimated  5 years supply of ivory – was a stupid decision.  Nice symbolism, maybe, but poor economics and strategy.

The point is this.  Burning confiscated tusks and ivory is counter-productive!!

It insures that there is a ‘scarcity’ of tusk ivory for sculptors and traditional artists around the world – leading to higher prices and an ever-growing poaching underground.

It would be far better to flood the market with these confiscated tusks, thereby bankrupting  the poacher gangs, and generating revenue for the elephant preservation organizations and programs.

Even better, have the animal wildlife organizations create a tusk/ivory supply system that is legal and safe for the animals.

1.    If an elephant dies naturally, why not remove and reuse its tusks?

2.    Elephant tusks can grow well beyond what is needed for self-defense or moving objects so why not allow ‘selective’ tusk cutting as is common practice in India and elsewhere. 

Either or both of these measures – not the symbolic destruction of thousands of tusks  for media show – would benefit elephants far more.  Poaching and the criminal gangs involved would be eliminated, and traditional ivory carving artists would have a better, legitimate and less expensive supply.

That way, endangered elephants, traditional artists and the general public would benefit.