Environment
The Elephant Saga
Zim - China Elephant Trade, the Good and the Ugly
... Calf dies in Chinese Zoo, while more await exportation
T
Tinotenda Chikohora here is a growing demand for wild life from international countries to stock up zoos for game view amusements. This has led to the birth of international animal trade. As a country that boasts of abundant diverse game life, the trade presents a lucrative business, as well as an ugly potential for game abuse. Last year, Zimbabwe received orders for 18 and 48 calves from China and other international countries respectively, orders that the country committed to fulfil. Trading in the giant mammals could be good news to Hwange and Gokwe communities who have many stories to tell after horrendous encounters with wild animals since time immemorial. On
the contrary, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and other environmental watch dogs have voiced strong concerns over the ‘inhumane’ nature the animals endure in preparation for or during transportation. Prior to exportation, elephant calves are taken away from their mothers and family units and placed in bomas, for the required three-month veterinary quarantine period in preparation for zoo life. Local public and environmental watch groups have teamed up to pressurise the government to turn down animal orders being placed by the international community. Following pressure from ZSPCA (Zimbabwe Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and Avaaz.org, five elephants, four of which were destined for China, were last year transferred to
Umfurudzi National Park after being released from bomas at Hwange National Park. According to Zimbabwe Conversation Task Force (ZCTF), a total of four elephants (calves) were exported to Bejing in November last year. The calves were transported by road, a trip that took 12 hours from Hwange to Harare Airport where they were loaded onto an Air Emirates aeroplane and flown to Dubai. This flight took 10 hours and from Dubai, they were flown to Bejing. “The total weight of the elephants was 3,9 tons which implies they were very young and the handling was done by AGS. The fact that these elephants are juveniles indicates that they are being taken away from their mothers; thereby destroying family units. “We are very concerned because we believe this constitutes cruelty to February 2013
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