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Omaha Steve

(99,059 posts)
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 09:19 PM Oct 2015

A Billionaire Is on a Quest to Count All of Africa’s Elephants




A continent-wide survey funded by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen will give researchers a better idea of where conservation efforts are needed most.


Aerial view of an elephant herd. (Photo: Michael Poliza/Getty Images)

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/10/05/great-elephant-census-zambia

OCT 5, 2015 Taylor Hill is an associate editor at TakePart covering environment and wildlife.

Only recently have scientists been able to tally the massive death toll poachers are taking on Africa’s elephants, with studies showing that 96 of the giant mammals are killed by illegal hunting every day.

But just how many elephants are left? Nobody knows for certain. Scientists think as many as 10 million elephants roamed Africa’s savanna and dense rainforests at the turn of the 20th century, but today population estimates range between 400,000 and 700,000.

That wide discrepancy is a problem for conservationists trying to determine where, when, and how to protect the species from poachers looking to cash in on the animals’ tusks—a trade fueled by increasing demand for ivory goods in countries like China and Vietnam, and even the United States.

Now, conservationists are taking to the sky to count as many African elephants as they can. It’s called the Great Elephant Census, and it’s slated to be the first continent-wide survey of the animals’ population in 40 years.

FULL story at link.

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A Billionaire Is on a Quest to Count All of Africa’s Elephants (Original Post) Omaha Steve Oct 2015 OP
Rec. Rec. Rec. Control-Z Oct 2015 #1
...so he knows how many Taxidermists to hire." Shandris Oct 2015 #2
Plastic has pretty much replaced ivory Travis_0004 Oct 2015 #3
Oh, that's interesting. I didn't even realize mammoth ivory was... Shandris Oct 2015 #4
About 80 tons a year is found Travis_0004 Oct 2015 #5
If China allows Ivory Trade then we should not be trade partners with China!!! Maraya1969 Oct 2015 #6
Well here is one store online that is fighting the Ivory ban Maraya1969 Oct 2015 #7

Control-Z

(15,681 posts)
1. Rec. Rec. Rec.
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 09:25 PM
Oct 2015

And kick.

I love elephants - the real ones. Not the human ones.

Not to mention all the beautiful wildlife that is being hunted for trophy.

 

Shandris

(3,447 posts)
2. ...so he knows how many Taxidermists to hire."
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 09:32 PM
Oct 2015

JUST KIDDING! But really, that's about what I expected the article to be about until I saw OS posted it. I like your posts, OS, you keep my day from being all gloomy.

On a more fundamental level...why can't we just MAKE some darn ivory? We can make almost everything else, and since someone will pay for it you know there's money to be had. So...why hunt the elephants for their ivory?

Maybe I'm just not uneducated enough to think "Ooh, big, shoot" is the sum of the human experience.

 

Travis_0004

(5,417 posts)
3. Plastic has pretty much replaced ivory
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 10:12 PM
Oct 2015

The problem is ivory is still seen as a status symbol, especially in China, and their govermnet isnt really cracking down on illegal sales.

If you want ivory mammoth ivory is available, but its a lot more expensive. I have a knife with mammoth ivory and I love it.

I did show my knife to somebody explained it was mammoth ivory. They said "thats cruel that somebody would kill a mammoth for its ivory'

My response "Im pretty sure it was already dead when they found it"

She wanted to know how I could be so sure, I guess its a rik I have to take. (Its easy to tell from elephant ivory, so there is no risk of it being a modern elephant.)

 

Shandris

(3,447 posts)
4. Oh, that's interesting. I didn't even realize mammoth ivory was...
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 10:39 PM
Oct 2015

...possible. I guess I probably did, if I had thought of it, but...I never thought of it! So it's essentially the same thing.

Well thank you. That does help clear up a few things for me. When I want to learn about the ivory business...I go to DU.

"DU. The only website you'll ever need. Mostly."

 

Travis_0004

(5,417 posts)
5. About 80 tons a year is found
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 10:46 PM
Oct 2015

From what ive heard.

Probably 150 million mammoths left to be discovered.

I would assume we will contine to find mammoth ivory for the forseable future.

Maraya1969

(22,441 posts)
6. If China allows Ivory Trade then we should not be trade partners with China!!!
Tue Oct 6, 2015, 12:00 AM
Oct 2015

Seriously WTF? The US should hold itself to higher standards. And the worker's situation? The US is just condoning it buy doing business with them.

And HOW is Ivory being sold in this country?

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