Poaching The New York Times has begun a series on how elephant poaching is financing war in the Congo. The first article begins like so: GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK, Democratic Republic of Congo — In 30 years of fighting poachers, Paul Onyango had never seen anything like this. Twenty-two dead elephants, including several very young ones, clumped together on the open savanna, many killed by a single bullet to the top of the head. There were no tracks leading away, no sign that the poachers had stalked their prey from the ground. The tusks had been hacked away, but none of the meat — and subsistence poachers almost always carve themselves a little meat for the long walk home. Several days later, in early April, the Garamba National Park guards spotted a Ugandan military helicopter flying very low over the park, on an unauthorized flight, but they said it abruptly turned around after being detected. Park officials, scientists and the Congolese authorities now believe that the Ugandan military — one of the Pentagon’s closest partners in Africa — killed the 22 elephants from a helicopter and spirited away more than a million dollars’ worth of ivory. New York Times. Elephants Dying in Epic Frenzy as Ivory Fuels Wars and Profits. Image: A poached elephant in Garamba National Park. Tyler Hicks via the New York Times.

Poaching

The New York Times has begun a series on how elephant poaching is financing war in the Congo. The first article begins like so:

GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK, Democratic Republic of Congo — In 30 years of fighting poachers, Paul Onyango had never seen anything like this. Twenty-two dead elephants, including several very young ones, clumped together on the open savanna, many killed by a single bullet to the top of the head.

There were no tracks leading away, no sign that the poachers had stalked their prey from the ground. The tusks had been hacked away, but none of the meat — and subsistence poachers almost always carve themselves a little meat for the long walk home.

Several days later, in early April, the Garamba National Park guards spotted a Ugandan military helicopter flying very low over the park, on an unauthorized flight, but they said it abruptly turned around after being detected. Park officials, scientists and the Congolese authorities now believe that the Ugandan military — one of the Pentagon’s closest partners in Africa — killed the 22 elephants from a helicopter and spirited away more than a million dollars’ worth of ivory.

New York Times. Elephants Dying in Epic Frenzy as Ivory Fuels Wars and Profits.

Image: A poached elephant in Garamba National Park. Tyler Hicks via the New York Times.

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    :(
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    I want to be able to let people know about things that matter in the world. I’m gonna start my new blog tomorrow
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    Meanwhile, in the Congo, elephant poaching finances a war.
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