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Elephants break out of Tsavo West National Park, locals go into hiding
More than 500 elephants strayed out of Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, destroying crops and scaring villagers before being herded back onto park property, the Nairobi Star reports.
The elephants were simply grazing and looking for water, park officials say, but that doesn't reassure villagers who saw their fields trampled. The elephants wandered through five villages and there are reports that they attacked people, although these haven't been confirmed. Many people hid for days indoors until Kenya's Problem Animal Control Unit took care of the problem.
Locals are complaining of threats to their livelihood. Many farmers live in poverty and one ruined crop can be disastrous. Park warden Samuel Rukaria told them they should invest in tourism businesses to cash in on the hugely popular park in their back yard. Not bad advice for someone with capital and a knowledge of the tourism business, but it's unrealistic to expect everyone in the region to be able to do this. This story is just another example of how difficult it is to reconcile the needs of tourists and wildlife to those of local residents. With Africa's expanding population putting ever more pressure on parks and game reserves, incidents like this will only become more common.
[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]
Filed under: Africa, Kenya, Ecotourism, News
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
patricia May 6th 2011 4:14PM
Elephants are such wonderful. complex animals and so intelligent. Their family structure is amazing. They even know who their aunts are! These females hold a special place of trust in the families. Aunts act as babysitters and have the absolute trust of the mothers.
Ol Bob May 6th 2011 6:42PM
I never was a birther, but look at those ears. Doesn't that prove Obama was born in Africa?
Gnc May 6th 2011 8:12PM
No, but it proves you were born to a whore under a rock, in a trailer park.
What an idiot.
Chuck May 6th 2011 6:01PM
Patricia, when Mike wrote "... small brain in those stupid animals..." and "... that thick skull..." he wasn't referring to the elephants.
mike May 6th 2011 7:01PM
why do you whacko animal lovers confuse natural instinct, with intelligence? just because a animal can find it's way across the plains to go where it's kind has been trekking for hundreds of years doesnt show intelligence any more than it shows that monarch butterflies are super intelligent because they can migrate to mexico each year, elephants if so smart should know they have lost the war and to stay in the preserves,,right?? but noo its a dumb animal
Jennifer May 6th 2011 8:49PM
If you had intelligence you'd know there is a great deal of research showing elephants have extreme intelligence (often higher than people). They dig their own wells to obtain fresh water while many native Africans still do not do to this day. There are documented cases where elephants remember people who've cared for them when they were orphaned & return later in life with their young. They also leave their new wild herds when visiting so as not to endanger their former human caretakers. Elephants can take precautions not to harm people who can't do the same. They like to call it nature to slaughter them for ivory. What other animal on this planet kills another animal for decorations? Only humans- and were the most intelligent???
Lauren Boyette May 6th 2011 8:07PM
These animals are NOT stupid and do not deserve to be killed for their ivory or anyhting of that matter. They should be set free and be able to roam around with no fear and go wherever they please. Anyone who thinks they should be shot or caged up is DISGUSTING.
hrdrck1 May 6th 2011 7:22PM
mike:
YES! I am planning to move soon as the Elephants need their plot back.
The deer and raccoons I feed and they just go around me.
Josie May 6th 2011 8:39PM
"Africa's expanding population" needs to be controlled as it should be all over the world. We can no longer continue to live as we do and expect the earth to provide for our needs. Maybe these villagers should be taught birth control so that they would be able to support themselves a bit better. If they listened, they they could be made to understand that these magificant elepehants can actually bring their community money through tourism, maybe just maybe, they'd have a better life.
They should be proud of what the park is doing to protect these animals & the park should be able to come to some arrangement so that both sides will gain from it
Yash May 7th 2011 5:56PM
There are some really ignorant people who reply to these threads and it just fathoms me to read what other people say through the internet. I am 100% certain that all of you ignorant bastards who made any type of negative comment towards another person on this article would never do so to someones face in person. If it makes yall feel better about yourselves to insult someone through the internet then yall need to grow the f up.
Every animal on earth including humans are here for a reason and its time to grow up and accept our roles on this planet
Wendi May 7th 2011 6:59AM
Have any of you watched the news lately? There has been tons of Tusks that have been poached and they are trying to export. From last report, they figure 68 elephants. But not done yet. Have not cleared warehouse yet. What gives the Human race the right to take over Any land?
DR. JERRY May 7th 2011 7:45AM
Sadly, the only thing that will solve this problem is population control of we humans, but that's not going to happen in places like Africa. As we, the dominant species, expand our numbers we also expand our presence over the planet, driving other species into extinction. Unless there is a mass die-off of the human population in Africa the elephants are probably doomed to extinction also. We already know what happens to animals when they clash with human populations.