lt Dan:
It is my fault. I see pictures in my head of 'culling' as Ganyana has described: a bunch of rangers, trying to circle a family group of elephants, or buffalo, with inadequate rifles, and most with little hunting experience, opening up like a bad movie, shooting everything that moves. Elephants wounded, running off, miles, and dieing, without being followed up, babies, mothers, all slaughtered. Humans, at their worst.
Selective hunting of the old, etc. by experience hunters, is NOT how I envision 'culling'.
The definitions of culling have a number of meanings, some that fit your definition, some that fit mine.
The video posted, saying that the last set of molars for a bull elephant came in around 50, and, that after they wear out, he's subject to a lingering, long death, by starvation is truly moving. He deserves a far better death then that.
Also, animals that have family groups, are capable of some sort of complex thinking, and problem solving, a language that we can't hear, generated by ultra low frequency sound waves, are by nature groups that create EXTREME passion in humans. Gorillas, elephants, sometimes cape buffalo, dolphins, killer whales, that appear to have more higher function brain ability then humans do, and more brain size for their body weight then we do, not to mention the larger whales, all create incredible passion in some people. Big cats do for me, as well.
In this thread, an outline for the issue has been established.
Why do we need to cull elephants?
What other alternatives are there?
That they have in fact been done, but, the elephant population has grown so big, that there are no other alternatives.
How is the reduction to be done?
I see no reason that it shouldn't be done by game hunters, guided by park rangers.
You could also have established that most parks have a 'culling' ranger, that is required to shoot problem animals, be they lions, elephants, etc.
You could also establish that the program people actually know what they are doing. Killing all bull elephants over 35 is NOT a good way to reduce heard size, since it leads to young rogue elephants.
Distance the park service from the government. I firmly believe the German tourists are probably reacting to the
government in current power, that most outsiders, and many insiders, and, I think they've even come out and said they are racist against whites, haven't they?
Also, you have the fact that the current SA government is one of the most vocal governments in Africa in trying to get the elephant ivory ban lifted. This is a conflict of interest problem, since most African governments, the corrupt ones at least, have likely a huge stockpile of elephant ivory. By lifting the ban, you invite poaching, another way to limit elephant herds, I suppose, but, not a good, or effective way of doing it.
I don't know if the problem, a very complex one, can really be addressed quickly. The key, from my perspective, is knowing that everything else has been tried, and, there is no other choice.
Your last writing, describing the rangers trying to save an animal, and, if that doesn't work, having to destroy it, is very moving, as well as showing the dynamics involved here.
While not the way I would have liked to address the issue, the process of discussion, point, counter point, etc. dialectic process certainly leads to a much better understanding of what is actually happening.
Thank you for your patience.
S
