Zim govt slammed for live elephant exports to China ZCTF Report – Dec 2012

Zim govt slammed for live elephant exports to China

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
19 December 2012

Zimbabwe’s government is facing serious criticism for allowing the export of 
live elephants to China, with accusations that entire families of elephant 
are being ‘destroyed’.

According to the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) four juvenile 
elephants were exported last month, in a journey that included a 12 hour 
drive in the back of a truck from Hwange to Harare, before being shipped by 
air for 10 hours to Dubai. From Dubai the animals were then flown to 
Beijing.

ZCTF chairman Johnny Rodrigues told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that, “the 
fact that these elephants are juveniles indicates that they are being taken 
away from their mothers, and family units are therefore being destroyed.” He 
explained that the family links within elephant herds are very strong and 
removing the very young is devastating to a herd.

Another 14 juvenile elephants are reportedly being held at Hwange, also 
awaiting exportation in January 2013. The ZCTF said in a report that the 
final destinations of the elephants are two zoos in China.

“Some elephants do not survive the stress caused by such long trips, not to 
mention the fact that the ones that do survive will be subjected to a life 
of captivity in a habitat they are not born to live in,” Rodrigues said.

Rodrigues had strong words for the government’s wildlife authorities, who he 
said “are meant to be the guardians of our wildlife.”

“We already have a poaching problem and we believe the authorities are now 
in business with the same poaching syndicates to export live animals. So the 
people who are meant to be protecting wildlife are the same perpetrators,” 
Rodrigues said.

He also dismissed the government’s repeated arguments that Zimbabwe is 
‘overpopulated’ with elephant, explaining how no audits have been done in 
recent years to support this claim. Rodrigues argued that rampant poaching 
has decimated the elephant population and more should be done to protect the 
animals.

“The whole world should stand against what is happening and be the guardians 
of these majestic animals. Because one day there won’t be any left if this 
keeps happening,” Rodrigues warned. 

ZCTF Report – Dec 2012