Elephant slaughter

[oxmounter]

Fears of forest elephant slaughter at  World Heritage Site in Central Africa

9 May 2013 Last updated at 08:26 ET
Matt McGrath By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22463388


A heavily armed gang has killed an unknown number of elephants at a world heritage site in the Central African Republic.

WWF says that ivory poachers were seen using a scientist's observation platform to shoot the animals, which gather there in large numbers.

The campaigners say they are extremely worried about the elephants in Dzanga-Ndoki national park.

The head of Cites has also expressed grave concern about the animals' fate.

The Dzanga-Ndoki park is located in the south-western corner of the Central African Republic (CAR), where it borders Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. It is described as a unique habitat for forest elephants in particular.

On Monday, WWF issued a warning that a group of 17 individuals, some armed with heavy-calibre rifles, had entered the park and was heading for the Dzanga-bai, an area known locally as the "village of elephants".

Up to 200 elephants are said to gather here daily to drink mineral salts present in the sands.

Local guards told WWF that they saw armed men using the Dzanga-bai observation platform to shoot the animals. The platform is normally used by scientists and tourists.

"We know that there was a lot of Kalashnikov fire over the last couple of days, and into the night," said Dr Anna Feistner, of WWF, who has been based in the area for the past three years.

"We now know the guys have left. Our belief is that elephants have been killed but we don't yet know the scale."
'Wound in heart of Africa'

Dr Feistner said she believed the raiders were Sudanese ivory poachers who have been trying to operate in the area for some time and were now simply taking advantage of the lawless state of the country.

The CAR been described as the "wound in the heart of Africa". The Seleka rebel group siezed power this year but disorder and violence continue.

The elephant raid has also alarmed international conservation authorities. The secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) said it was a worrying situation.

"This imminent threat to elephants in a remote and relatively well-protected area is of grave concern to Cites," said John E. Scanlon.

"I call on the international community to join forces and take co-ordinated action to avoid a new tragedy of similar proportions to the massive killing of elephants that occurred in Cameroon in 2012."

Mr Scanlon was referring to attacks in Bouba N'Djida national park a year ago that left at least 300 elephants dead.

African countries have seen a serious spike in the illegal killing of elephants. The amount of seized ivory is said to be at the highest level in 16 years.

[mitzigirl_123]

Can anyone tell me why "ivory" (or "faux ivory" as they are terming is) is still being sold on this auction website?

[suzieseaside]

Good point mitzi.  I have just been to have a look ...so many items for sale.

Like carvings for example - It seems to me that they are using the term "faux ivory" as a catch-all to cover themselves.

If the items are genuine antiques they may be elephant ivory, and it is not against the law to sell ivory if it is pre-1947 and has documentation to prove it (as far as I know).  That depends on how much you trust some of those eastern sellers with the word "antique" in the first place. Some of the faux ivory items going for peanuts must be plastic!

IMO, if something is described by a seller as faux ivory the origin of the material should be given - eg. bone or other horn, plastic or man-made material, with NO exceptions.  Ebay shouldn't allow any illegal sales on here, and IMO should insist that the material that the item is made from is stated in the description. 

I just looked at one item from this country at random. It said this in the description:

faux ivory hand carved figure of a women,1lb 4 ox,11 inches tall,2 1/2 inch wide,it is made of I..V,,O,,R,,Y.

I don't know what the seller is saying by this and whether writing it this way means something else, but to me it looks like it is a way of disguising the word from being searched for without faux in front of it. Whatever the seller means by this, it raises my suspicions immediately. ?:| 

[suzieseaside]

A search on the web brings up some worrying comments.  Of course I can't comment if they are true. They are not my words. 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ebay-ivory.html#cr

And see the PS on 6 out of 16 posts on this ebay thread:

http://forums.ebay.com/db1/topic/Fine-Jewelry-Gems/Ivory-Bracelet-Ok/510222914

Perhaps responsibility is only with the seller as far as ebay are concerned  - but if so, what is the point of them having rules about what is banned if they don't remove reported items, or insist on a proper description?  At the very least, for items of a sensitive nature and with a legal issue, which can be hard to distinguish the materials, I think they should insist that the seller has to provide a description of the material -so that would be in writing. If the seller doesn't know what it is, or won't do that then IMO they shouldn't be 'allowed' (by ebay turning a blind eye) to sell it on ebay, but should go somewhere else - such as an RL auction house. If they want to take a risk at a boot sale or similar, that's up to them, but any selling of ivory on here would shock me, if it goes on. 

It's all very well ebay 'banning' it, but if what has been said in those links and elsewhere is true - i.e. that they don't remove reported items that are real ivory, then they are party to breaching CITES regulations IMO.  X-(

Not serious like the ivory trade, but alcohol is banned on ebay ..... yet I have seen sales of Xmas hampers with alchohol in. It's all a nonsense. There are plenty of obscene-looking things sold on ebay too, but post an innocent picture on here with nothing rude showing will get you a stern warning for being against "Community policy".   If ebay don't have 'time' or personpower to look at items being sold that could be illegal - then the easiest thing is to ban anything that looks like ivory. Otherwise it's double-standards in my view.  If it's plastic or man-made, or cow bone - let the seller say so.

[lhasa.two]

Consider joining Avaaz if you haven't already done so, as they manage to stop some atrocities both to man and animals worldwide. A brilliant group I think no political or organisational funding, just individuals.

Today is the turn of the Whale so please sign up...

http://www.avaaz.org/en/days_to_stop_the_whale_slaughter_do/?bEUVxab&v=25267

[suzieseaside]

Thanks. I joined Avaaz a good while ago and get all their mails. They do a good job, and have some success stories e.g. recently with the EU not banning pesticides that kill bees.

I've been on a bit of a mission with ivory sales on ebay since mitzi mentioned it.

Here is a carved ivory tusk on sale at the moment. No age or documentation mentioned. And this is supposedly banned by ebay X-( 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chinese-Style-carved-ivory-tusk-/281113567635?pt=UK_Antiques_Asian_Orienta...

[suzieseaside]

Oops, I didn't realise that posts giving examples of ivory sales would be removed (had forgotten you can't show any ebay items), so my post after yours lhasa, about a carved actual ivory tusk on sale and no documentation will go soon too I suppose. 

Anyway, there was a bit in it, in answer to you lhasa, about Avaaz:   

Thanks. I joined Avaaz a good while ago and get all their mails. They do a good job, and have some success stories e.g. recently with the EU not banning pesticides that kill bees.

[mitzigirl_123]

Two excellent posts Suzie 😄 and I hope that an eBay representative is reading this and taking action but I won't hold my breath why should they?  eBay are making money out of it and lots of it by the looks of it.  I cannot believe that others haven't reported the "faux ivory" listings and even if they have, there are still hundreds on here. X-(

I too have joined Avaaz and hopefully now that Ihasa has posted their name others will too they seem to pack a pretty hard punch.

Well done Suzie - we need more people like you to take up the challenge and less people who just sit back, do and say nothing!

[suzieseaside]

Hi Mitzi 😄

Well, fair play to ebay - they did remove the carved elephant tusk listing.  That's the only listing I have ever reported, and they removed it within 24 hours.  Now they will have no reason to remove my post 3 above, since the link no longer goes to that item!

I suppose that a fair proportion of the faux ivory sales really are celluloid ivory or bone, though the sellers don't say so, and that's what annoys me because for sure there will be some real ivory slipping through. The seller of the tusk didn't try to disguise it, so probably doesn't know it's wrong and doesn't read ebay rules for selling certain items.

I am suspicious of one finishing in 2 hrs time, because (as mentioned before) after the faux ivory in the title, it says at the bottom of the listing "it is made of I..V,,O,,R,,Y."  I can't see how that is anything other than an intention to disguise it, and it has reached a fairly big price now. The tusk shape is still visible in the uncarved bit. I haven't reported that - because I suppose I might be wrong - can you think why someone might write made of I..V,,O,,R,,Y unless they were trying to deceive?  

When you report a listing, you can only choose categories and there is nowhere to write anything. If ebay only look at the title and not the whole listing they wouldn't see any problem I suppose. 

[merehazle]

😮 

Well, the continuing story from the Mail on line today....

The terrible fate of Raja the baby elephant, chained and held hostage by an angry mob: 

An image that will haunt you and a story that will enrage you. You might think an entirely innocent BABY elephant would be the last creature that anyone would want to suffer. You would be wrong!

Well in case one or two of you have missed this we have a story regarding the destruction of Sumatra's elephant population through the  forest deforestation.

Yes, I would appreciate someone bringing up the link thank you.

[electric*mayhem*band]

Here goes.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2351609/The-terrible-fate-Raja-baby-elephant-chained-held-hostage-angry-mob-An-image-haunt-story-enrage-you.html

[merehazle]

---

@electric*mayhem*band wrote:

Here goes.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2351609/The-terrible-fate-Raja-baby-elephant-chained-held-ho...

---

Yes  thank you. But I click on that and nothing happens? So belatedly this is what I got:-

And it reads underneath: ''The Duchess of Cornwall's brother Mark Shand (bottom right) writes of his shock at the destruction of Sumartra's elephant population. Deforestation of Asia ( top right) has forced elephants from their habitat, forcing them to live beside humans. Raja (left) was held hostage by villagers who were demanding compensation from the Sumatran government for damage his family had done to their crops.

Oh yes they killed his mother, now make her baby suffer. Such kindness from so many. That will draw attention to these wonderful people who would not concider kindness.

[rose2008-2008]

all this with elephants is TERRIBLE so SAD. They are beautiful and hard working creatures who have emotions and family values. Can this not STOP????. 

[blackburn_stevie]

We need to start a campaign going saying that without large elephants, a certain type of hair spray will become unavailable. That will get the Hippy Chicks onto it and before we we know it elephants will be back in decent numbers again. There is an alternative involving moving elephant herds to an area that is more easily protected from poachers but, at the present politican time, consevationalists don't want to go down that route.

Nobody mention Mugabe and nobody dies.

[merehazle]

I tried to leave a futher comment on this story from Mail on Line but they are not taking anymore. I wanted to ask them if they would keep us informed on what happens to Raja. If anyone can find information on it it would be much appreciated? Cant just leave it like this can we? It would be wonderful if we were to be told he has been rescued. 

You can still view this story if you wish just type in Raja the elephant Mail on line search.

What a wonderful world where people are actually holding BABY elephants to ransom?

As their forest home is destroyed for palm oil farming you cant blame the villagers for taking drastic action. But not this drastic.

Here a close up of Raja someone very very special I think ......

[merehazle]

'Cant just leave it at that'   Well, it looks like we might?

Oxmounter, hopefully you might in time be able to put in an appearance on your thread.

Would be interested as it is your thread for any of your thoughts?

If not thanks anyway, and good luck!