S Africa to allow elephant cull

[Steve Gardner]

Anyone got any thoughts about this?

Source: BBC

The South African government has said it will allow elephants to be culled for the first time in 13 years.

In a statement given to journalists on Monday, the government said a cull was needed to control elephant numbers.

The elephant population is thought to have grown from 8,000 to 18,000 since the government banned culls in 1995.

The statement acknowledged that the issue would rouse "strong emotions", and the news will anger many animal rights campaigners.

They have already threatened to call tourist boycotts and take legal action against the measure, which had been expected.

The capture of wild elephants - to be used in elephant-back safaris, for example - is also a matter of controversy in South Africa. In the statement, the government said this would be banned, except for purposes of rehabilitation into the wild.

'Last resort'

In the statement, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said culling would be an option of last resort that was acceptable only under strict conditions.

He said other measures, including better management of elephant enclosures, translocation, and elephant contraception, could also be used.

And he said culling - an option which will become available from 1 May - was only being adopted after consultation "with all shades of opinion".

But Mr van Schalkwyk said the interests of "balanced biodiversity or people living in proximity to elephants" must also be taken into account.

'Murder'

People living close to elephants have complained that elephants are dangerous, eat crops and compete with people for water.

But the campaign group Animal Rights Africa says elephants have highly developed cognitive abilities, and a high degree of self-awareness.

"How much like us do elephants have to be before killing them becomes murder?" it asked in a statement anticipating the announcement.

[deelight]

I don't know how I feel about this tbh. A culling normally occurs where an animal is a pest, more so with rodents I would think or when they have a disease which is in danger of spreading. I don't think of Elephants as pests, more big gentle creatures but I'm sure thats not really the case if these reports are anything to go by. I feel saddened by it I suppose, but maybe I should look at it from the other perspective, if I lived near them and they were a danger to me and my children then how would I feel? There would have to be pretty damning evidence that this was the case I would think

[Steve Gardner]

You know, you've taken the wind out of my sails here.

I deliberately held back from commenting since I was rather expecting people to be furious about this. I figured that, once people had vented a bit, I could have some fun playing devil's advocate.

You're right, of course, we don't hesitate to set barbaric traps for mice and rats - which often leave them having to endure slow, agonising deaths - but talk about animals we 'love' like foxes, seals and, in this case, elephants, and the typical reaction is one of horror.

Now I'm not expressing a view either for or against this cull of elephants. I'm more interested in the sometimes flexible standards we seem to use to determine what's 'loved' and what's not.

And, to pick up on a point you made, Dee: at what point is it right for us to decide when a species that's roamed the earth for a good deal longer than us is a 'pest'?

Again, I'm not necessarily in agreement nor in opposition. I'm just interested in the thought process.