I have read, in no less a place than National Geographic, that the African elephant situation is mixed based on local laws. Most countries, Chad included, have a shortage, but a few actually have too many to handle due to elephant-protection laws allowing them to proliferate beyond local capacity, and can't find a good home for the surplus. Kruger National Park in South Africa is one such example– they have too many to handle and are considering the introduction of culling.

This is simply playing devil's advocate, however. It's obvious that didn't happen here or anything of the sort, and worldwide the species is threatened. These particular poachers didn't even care enough to at least make sure their target had ivory before killing it, meaning this elephant died for no other reason than a combination of greed, laziness and stupidity.

The problem seems to be exacerbated by the fact that most African nations simply don't have the money to adequately police the situation, and they have other pressing concerns besides. Starvation. War. Human-on-human violence, much of which you've reported on in the past. So if anything is going to get done in time, more developed countries are going to have to give the African parks enough of a security makeover to where the park rangers can catch poachers on a regular basis before they have the chance to fire their weapons.

One day it would be nice to see some on a safari.

(I think the mammoth style "Hollywood special effect" elephants predate humans but what do I know????)

Thank you for your story on the African elephant, though very sad to learn that their numbers have dwindled significantly. Never could understand why there is such a demand for its ivory. Though I can appreciate the talent, skill & artistry that goes into an intricately carved piece of ivory that would look great in anyone's home.... but really is there a large market for ivory carvings these days? I've seen beautiful but very old ivory carvings in museums, in ivory specialty shops (always quiet), the odd fort/castle in India (but a different elephant I believe)... etc., but never actually in someone's home, big or small.... It's illegal, so why is there such a market for them still, so much so that it is causing their decline? I have never actually heard anyone rave about elephant carvings... etc. What is their appeal... obviously I do not move in those connoisseur circles.

Always such a waste to senselessly kill any animal.... There's a lot of mindless ignorant people around.

No judgment here.....Everybody is unbalanced.  How unbalanced depends on from where and on which side of the fulcrum you are hanging.

Norma Susan SmithVancouver BC Canada

Thank you for posting about the elephants. They are truly magnificent animals and of course, man is short sighted and only sees them for what they can be used for – ivory in this case. I hope that the US will get involved seriously in the effort to stop activities like this that are quickly driving certain animals to extinction as well as doing our part to reducing the damage climate change is doing to our planet – our habitat as well as the wildlife's habitat. If we wait much longer it may be too late.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

Thank you for sharing with us your bittersweet encounter with the magnificent Central African Elephant and their continuing struggle for survival. I was struck by Jeff's photo of the herd from the Cessna. The shadow of the plane forms a cross above the herd and I pray for their survival. I know their grief is overwhelming when they come upon their tragically butchered brethren. What horrors man has wrought against nature will come back on him two-fold.

It needs to stop. The animals face so many pressures from civilization, agriculture and other that to allow this kind of "sport" is not in keeping with the changes and concerns of today's environment.

People who hunt this way, and many from the USA, state that the revenues generated from this type of hunting help the economy in Africa – but the destruction of the animals, while it seems to each hunter that they could have no impact, just about whether a poacher takes an animal here and there – it is about the entire amount of pressure on animals which reproduce slowly, live long lives, are intelligent. Agriculture, hunting {trophy, canned and that sustained by the governments of Africa to "control" populations and which governments then sell the ivory to outside interests}, pesticides, forestry, loss of habitat, shrinking ranges {elephants are migratory animals with established ranges} all add up.

It is now being documented that in an effort to escape poachers, some elephants are leaving the protections of parks and extending ranges into agricultural land and public forests. This raises problems of human/animal conflict and poses a greater issue for society as a whole on a global level – when are we going to start being accountable and responsible for the environment and life forms that share the earth with us. After all, the pressures they face will eventually be the ones we will also face.

Can't wait to see PIP2 December 11th.

Cindy...Ga.