Murder of Elephants
South Africa is going to allow a cull of elephants starting on May 1st. The elephant numbers have grown from 8,000 to over 20,000 since the 1995 ban was introduced and I can understand the government's concern. Elephants need a large area to roam and eat over 200lbs of food a day. That's a massive ecological impact.But the government isn't heartless. They will only authorize the killing as a last resort. "[The Government spokesman] said other measures, including better management of elephant enclosures, translocation, and elephant contraception, could also be used." Can you really get wild elephants to take their pill every day? I guess they never forget....
The most interesting part of the story is this pull quote from Animal Rights Africa.
"How much like us do elephants have to be before killing them becomes murder?" [Animal Rights Africa] asked in a statement anticipating the announcement.
My answer. When they have a soul.
posted by Expat Teacher @ 10:27 AM
