Urgent - Save Tusker the elephant from being shot on 7 January

Tusker a wild elephant that hangs around a camp in Zimbabwe had been condemned to death through no fault of his own. He will be shot on 7 January 2008.There is a petition to save him here:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/628552210
Please thake the few minutes to sign the petition.Cheers, Kaye
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I understand your desire to save Tusker/Dustbin but we need to look at the 'bigger picture' here.

Tusker has done nothing wrong - the wrong-doing is entirely on the part of humans but this constantly causes other animals - baboons and Hyeanas are a typical example - to lose their lives due to the stupidiuty of humans.

The Kruger National Park - for example, there are many other parks which do this - regularly need to cull so-called problem animals which have been encouraged by idiotic humans who claim to be animal lovers/environmentalists but who cannot resist throwing fruit/bones/whatever over the fences, or leaving them outside their stoops for the animals.

I have been witness to this, when in KNP a couple of years ago. Baboons were so used to being fed by tourists, of every nationality, that they started raiding the cottages.

The cottage which my friends and I occupied was raided (the baboons defacated in every room and ate all of our food) along with 2 others, even though we had chased them away every day - and subsequently the baboon troop leader was shot dead by the Park Rangers. This action led to the troop moving out of the human occupied area and the problem was ended.

We were all very distressed that an animal lost it's life because of human intervention but, at the end of the day, it stopped the rest of the troop, which was estimated as being +/- 13 strong, from relying on humans for sustenance.

Elephants are very unreliable - they may appear to be harmless whilst raiding bins and braais but, if confronted by a tourist who has no knowledge of the behavioural traits of wild animals, this could easily lead to the death of the tourist.

If 'Tusker' cannot be successfully relocated the authorities will have no option but to cull it - as otherwise they will be lambasted by the public, and the international press, should a human fatality occur, for not dealing with a 'problem animal' before a tragedy occurs

So, I will not be signing this petition as I am taking the view that the Park authorities know better that I, or the person who posted the petition on Care2, can possibly know.

The guilty parties are not the Park Authorities - they are the tourists who cause the uneccessary deaths of animals through their blatant ignorance, and their selfishness.

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Founding Member of the AAA - Africam Addicts Association.

Want to learn more about the animals you see on the cam?

Go to www.wildlifecampus.com for free modules and full courses

Just to let everyone know, the action is being co-ordinated on the ground by the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. Their plan is to buy more time to find a solution to the problem.

In less than 24 hours, 1000 people from all over the world have come out in support of Tusker.

The petition is still open. It will be presented at talks between the ZCTF and the Zim. Wildlife authorities tomorrow.

here is a story on this elephant.

http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/science/2008/01/08/Zimbabwe.Elephant.Killed/

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Good morning all.

This article is soooo sad....and once again it is all down to the so-called 'civilized humans'. Shame on those people who provoked the obviously frighten elephant. :-(

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Life is too short for drama and petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly. Unknown

I hope the party goers are aware of their destructive deeds. Sad May they ponder those actions for the rest of the New Year.

If I am reading correctly, they shot the big tusker? Don't they have a more humane method for killing or is that the only way to put to death an elephant? Sad....

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Shooting the elephant, by an experienced Ranger or wildlife vet, is the kindest way - death would be almost instantaneous and the animal would not suffer.

We tend to think that the kindest way to put down an animal is to inject a strong anaesthetic drug into it's veins or directly into the heart - while this works for domestic animals, for a wild animal this would be very stressful as a wildlife vet would, first of all, have to dart it, to subdue it, and then administer the fatal drug.

Wild animals will run away when darted and could easily seriously injure thenselves - and as the drug takes a while to take effect, the Rangers may not be able to follow it into the bush and find it in time to save it from it's suffering, or suffocating (or worse) before they are able to administer the fatal drug.

It is always sad when an animal has to be put down - but I trust the park authorities (and all of the many others involved - these decisions are not taken lightly or without full consultation with all involved) in their expertise - and their knowledge that their actions are taken in the best interests of the animal and of the wider community.

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Founding Member of the AAA - Africam Addicts Association.

Want to learn more about the animals you see on the cam?

Go to www.wildlifecampus.com for free modules and full courses

Its been the 7th of january what happened?

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dan.

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Urgent - Save Tusker the elephant from being shot on 7 January

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