News Release
27 March 2012
TWENTY-TWO ELEPHANTS KILLED AT GARAMBA
African Parks regrets to announce that 22 elephants have been killed in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past ten days. Garamba, which shelters an estimated 2,000-3,000 elephants (one of the
biggest remaining elephant populations in central Africa) has until now avoided the elephant poaching onslaught taking place across west and central Africa.
Park management was alerted to the poaching incident when one of five collared elephants, which are monitored daily by satellite, was observed to have remained stationery for 24 hours. A ground patrol sent to investigate discovered six dead elephant, including two babies, grouped together in the southern section of the park. Unusually, the genitalia of the adult male elephants had been removed along with the tusks.
Over the following three days intensive aerial surveillance was undertaken, during which time 1,415km was flown over the park to ascertain if further poaching had taken place. During these patrol flights another two groups of carcasses involving 13 elephants were located. Ground patrols involving more than 70 rangers subsequently located another three carcasses, bringing the total number of elephants killed to 22 – eighteen adults and four calves.
All 22 elephants are believed to have been killed within a day or two of one another.
Group of six elephant carcasses found by ground patrol.
Group of five elephant carcasses discovered from the air.
This is the biggest elephant poaching incident at Garamba since African Parks assumed management of the park in November 2005, and is serious cause for concern. Our initial investigations suggest that the poaching was the work of a professional group possibly numbering ten or more. Indications are that the elephants were encircled before being shot, as the carcasses were found grouped together. The killings had been achieved with one or two
direct shots to the head as opposed to being sprayed with bullets, again indicating the work of professionals. Cartridges found at the scene confirm that AK-47 assault rifles were used in the attacks.
African Parks’ management will do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators to account. A substantial reward has been offered for information leading to arrests and local villagers are being interviewed to source information about the identity and location of the poachers. Constant aerial monitoring is also being undertaken to prevent a repeat of the attacks.
Map of Garamba indicating where the 22 elephant carcasses were discovered and the aerial surveillance paths flown in the past ten days.
As Garamba is located in a politically volatile region, with armed forces from a number of countries as well as the Lord’s Resistance Army present in the region, follow-up operations will be difficult. However, as with last year’s elephant poaching incident at Zakouma National Park in Chad, we are determined to demonstrate that poaching does not pay. Once the incident has been fully investigated, a further update will be provided, including additional measures that will be put in place to avoid a repeat of such a tragic event.
For further information please contact:
Jane Edge – communications director – janee@african-parks.org
Luis Arranz – Garamba Park Manager – luisa@african-parks.org
Peter Fearnhead – CEO – peterf@african-parks.org
OMG,someone please shoot those bastards! :’-((((
Reblogged this on Fahrenheit 451 Used Books and commented:
Stop the Slaughter of Elephants and other Living Creatures, More better armed Anti Poaching Troops needed
it is getting worst and worst. time to really say enough – with actions.
what is the world doing about stopping this?…where is the people buying objects made of ivory?… humanity is an insane prospect
what an evil…unspeakable. these living beings have the intelligence, feelings and spirits that we do. God help this world that people like that who did this live in it…
…and humans think animals are dangerous! Humans are the most dangerous animal of them all.
The senseless, brutal killing of our precious elephants by greedy humans is bringing their numbers to NIL. We can not allow this to continues and most stop it before is too late!!!
I’m not concerned with numbers but with lives, each and every single one, precious and with the will to live and thrive, being snuffed out mercilessly by brute thugs with diseased minds and souls, and they have plenty of deranged customers for what they “harvest.” Anyone who whines egotistically and self-righteously about any “violence” committed against these destroyers of worthwhile lives, is an enabling moron. Frontliners like those who STOP poachers, who actually take care of business, are heroes, period.
This terrorism ruins the lives of the surviving elephants in so many ways. I don’t believe in joining the military, but I believe forces must stop poachers. They are passing this bloodshed down to the next generation like an heirloom. Extinction is what it’s going to take for the terror to end, and we can’t allow this.
one day the last of the great afrikan elefants will be extinct, they r extinct in sierra leone as of 2009…. u can help by helping IFAW or http://www.biglifeafrica.org/
these folks r fighting for the elefants n rhinos, your money is not wasted on fundraisers bonuses here it goes right to the rangers in the park…year 1900 afrikan elefant population 10 million today 2012 maybe 300,000 left,,the end is near w/out your $$$ support
I think IFAW has as much credibility as Greepeace or WWF Phil, sorry, but am posting this anyway; I hope you are right about the money going directly to the animals and actually doing good.
There need to be DNA samples taken of those elephants. It must be made clear to the end buyers that the ivory will be sourced and they will be liable for prosecution.
The human species cannot and will not evolve until it stops the torture and killing of other species. Sadly, the way things are going it is looking like we are going to be stuck in the dark ages for eternity unless there is a dramatic change!
They are hired killers, there is nothing but to sentence them to death! This has gotten to be taken as serious as if they killed human families circling their children as the gang members shot them dead!!
So sad, As long as people desire to live large, Mother Earth will continue to suffer. The same forces responsible of this slaughter were also at work when the American Buffalio was inialated after the rail road was put through. The profit must be taken away so these magnicicant creatures can live in peace. It is up to us.. We need to deploy our forces to protect all life on this planet. Instead of waging war against unknown enemies. We know who the enemies are here. We need to put folks to work protecting mother earth!
This kind of thing is what tears down what little hope I have that humanity has a chance of become something more than the thinly-veiled and self-rationalizing cancer we have become as a species. For every individual willing to leave bigotry of all kinds behind, there is another person capable of something like this.
They are circling and killing HUMANS, seems like the elephants got it easy.
http://www.channel4.com/news/congo-bosco-ntaganda-terminator-war-crimes-suspect
This is terrible too, equally terrible, except children are not endangered species and it is ridiculous to say elephants “got it easy,” esepcially if you have seen pictures of elephants with their faces ripped off and limbs cut off.
If I may interject about elephants killing people and having it easy, elephants are very family oriented. When the mother is killed, it traumatizes the whole family, as they witness her murder. The male elephants become like teen boys from a broken home. If elephants were not disturbed, they would not randomly kill humans. There is not one example of purposely disrupting an elephant herd for a cause that is good. They are living in danger daily, in every country. We have to want the same thing for elephants as we want for ourselves, so order can be restored to their existence.
Indeed, thank you for adding this point, this has been well-documennted. See these pages and essays by the brilliant Gay Bradshaw of the Kerulos Center on Elephant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
ELEPHANT PTSD
http://www.kerulos.org/projects/elephant_ptsd.html (links to many important articles)
ELEPHANTS ON THE EDGE
http://www.kerulos.org/learn_more/elephants_edge.html
I know it’s ridiculous. Nothing is easy there.
“Very few Congolese and foreign civilians living on the territory of the DRC managed to escape the violence, and were victims of murder, mutilation, rape, forced displacement, pillage, destruction of property or economic and social rights violations.”
+Add Elephants to the list too.
“In some cases, victims became perpetrators, while perpetrators were themselves sometimes subjected to serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, in a cycle of violence that has not yet abated.”
Maybe one day the riches of the Congo will adequately provide for ALL Congolese. Ending the violent early child education program., and ending the desire to exploit Ivory.
Beginning of exploitation of tourists instead?
Quotes above form UN Mapping report:
Click to access mapping_report_en.pdf
Winona,
I did not mean Elephants are killing people. In a strange way I wish they would kill more people. I meant people are circling and killing people.
This is so sad. I think the DNA samples would be a good idea. Make someone responsible for this.
This is terrible. DNA samples may discourage purchasing and if that happens their would be no reason for the slaughter. Do you know if this has been done before?
Good, so many mourners of this latest story. I had been so sure people are opening their eyes and hearts to the countless ways elephants are suffering at the hands of man. I thought you just didn’t understand. Thank you for clarifying.
The people that are doing this are committing treason. Find them, arrest them, put them on trial, find them guilty and KILL them. They deserve the death penalty. It is a crime against humanity! They are killing endangered species, and that is endangering the human species.
please research the site i listed, these folks are making a difference, this is the last stand to protect the last of the Afrikan elefants, tomorrow is too late, South Afrika n many Afrikan nations r in complete collusion w the poachers, up front they show a face of fighting poachers , but do zero to stop them, its private charities, mercenaries, rangers that r fighting poachers even CITES does little to nothing, if one can get canned hunting permits to kill rhinos, elefants lions etc , there is more evidence of these governments total collusion w poaching and killing off a nearly extinct species, one must consider the numbers ,,,yr 1900 10 million elefants , today near 300,000… 10-12 years extinct outside zoos…we cant let them win
there is no law in Asia, China, Vietnam, etc,, they will not prosecute w signed confessions n videotapes, great idea, for the usa n europe but all the ivory goes to asia n China especially will do nothing to stop it…
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