Elephants belong on the land

These gentle giants, richly endowed with all the better attributes of mankind have forever been stalked and hunted by the uglier and darker side of man.  Records show that elephants used to roam from the shores of the Mediterranean in the north to the magnificent slopes of Table Mountain in the Cape, South Africa. With the hunger for ivory by man, forever snapping at their heels, before the end of the Roman Empire in North Africa, elephants no longer left a myriad of footprints on the land. Their mighty presence had gone.  They had been hunted to extinction, leaving sunsets to usher the evenings into lonely nights.

Settlers arriving in the Cape in 1652 and using their more modern day weapons, quenched their blood lust slaughtering the wild life. The spoils from the worlds biggest land animals were carved into trinkets, piano keys and billiard balls. While herd numbers dwindled, it was not until 1822 that sense prevailed.  The British Governor in the Cape, Lord Charles Somerset declared that elephants were ‘Royal Game.’  These animals could no longer be hunted without a special permit, which had to be obtained from the Governors Office.

Another 70 years passed by and the land of perfect bliss was close to becoming a land devoid of its four legged riches. The President, Paul Kruger of the South African Republic amended the existing laws to prohibit the hunting of elephants and rhino: he introduced licence fees, a closed hunting season and prohibited hunters from hunting on state lands. Under this umbrella of protection, the elephant population slowly recovered, once again bringing their special magic back into the veldt.

Their peace however, was short lived. Intense attacks on the elephant populations started again during the 70’s. Men once again filled their pockets with money made through the ivory trade, and it was not long before these gentle beasts were threatened with extinction.  All international trade in ivory and all other elephant products were banned. These gentle sentient beasts with their large hearts, despite the international ban are not safe from man. The insatiable greed for ivory is killing this species.

Ivory tusks are overgrown incisors protruding from the upper jaw of the elephant. They hold no special powers, and consist mainly of dentine, which is the second hardest tissue in the body after enamel. PEOPLE, they are just teeth and every time ivory is purchased, think !!  An animal has been destroyed. Is the demise of these magnificent beasts worth a trinket or piece of jewelry.

ELEPHANTS belong on the land (please read my poem), they do not belong on your mantel piece or in your jewelry box. The African bush devoid of elephants would be an arid land without soul. Elephants embody the very essence of the African veldt. These sensitive and intelligent creatures are in danger of becoming extinct.  Let us stand together as one, becoming one voice and ensure the survival of these amazing beasts.  Let us prove that we are also  sensitive and intelligent beings.