Showing posts with label elephant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elephant. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Mahouts and the weapon of fear
Have you taken an elephant ride in Thailand or Nepal? If you have then have a second look at the weapon the mahouts used.
In Thailand, from Phuket to Kanchanaburi to Koh Samui, the mahouts used spikes to hit at the elephants. However, in Nepal, the mahouts used only sticks that do not hurt.
Lesson learnt: Are the mahouts from Thailand more cruel? I just love the humble and animal loving people of Nepal.
Nepal 1 vs Thailand 0.
The first 3 photographs showed the mahouts using sticks. Pictures from Chitwan National Park, Nepal.
The stick won't hurt the elephant at all.
Can see the stick clearly.
Both mahouts only carry sticks.
All photographs below were from Thailand. The first one below was from Phuket Zoo and the rest from Kanchanaburi, Thailand.
No different in a zoo.
Just look at the fearful looking baby elephant's eyes!
This guy using the spike to drag the elephant!
Can you see the old wounds on the head?
The weapon of fear!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Elephant Conservation Vs Mass Tourism
The news below prompted me to write.....
It is true that tourists are not coming to Kuala Gandah as the Wildlife Protection Act 2010 was enforced. Elephants are not allowed to entertain tourists - so the law says. It is a strange law in Bolehland. Do you know that there is also a clause in the Wildlife Protection Act 2010 that says Government agencies can "bulldoze" salt licks for development? But salt licks are important for wildlife and especially elephants. Elephants are the flagship of the living ecosystem in jungle as they are able to dig up salt licks for other smaller animals. Its just hypocritical to have law that can destroy salt licks on one hand but on the other its a no-no! It is a noble gesture to prevent elephants from carrying tourists (as they said wildlife are best left in the wild) but then elephants can be playful and some are known to be highly intelligent.
The problem with dangerous elephants arises when the mahouts became stressful and started to torture the elephants. And that was the reason elephants trampled people. In another case, a friend witnessed an elephant tour that saw two elephants attacking each other because the first elephant was fed with bananas while the second one which the tourist did not purchase for his elephant became angry. This jeolousy caused the elephants to fight although they didn't harm the tourists. It was a frightening experience for the two tourists riding on their backs. Also there are cases where mahouts used iron spikes to hit at their elephants so that the elephants can walk faster because there is a large crowd waiting for their turn to ride. After going many rounds, the elephants became tired but were forced to continue. That was the problem.
Community should be fed inorder for them to appreciate wildlife conservation. If laws are make to victimize rather than to find a win-win solution, then wildlife conservation might not work. Perhilitan should continue with the elephant rides but limit to certain hours. Well trained and tactful mahouts that are passionate with elephants are the solutions for elephant tourism. In the meantime, let see how this conservation issue could become another political issue.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Human destroyers caught 2 of our friends
By an elephant reporter.
Jungle News
BESUT: Two tame elephants turned traitors were used to lure our two friends in Lata Tembakah.
The proud State Wildlife Department officers captured our two friends at 9am yesterday by using two decoys (Cek Mek and Kala) from the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang.
The human lured our two friends and were subsequently fired on with tranquiliser darts to make our friends sleepy.
Terengganu Wildlife Department director Yusof Shariff seemed to know that our two friends were 7 years old. They were transported to the state Wildlife Conservation Centre in Sungai Ketiar.
They also knew that it was almost impossible to capture our two friends without the help of two traitors - Cek Mek and Kala. Cek Mek and Kala led our two friends to enter the huge transport vehicle.
The human spokeman by the name of Yusof even said that our two friends are wild and had done considerable damage to villagers' crops and had caused distress to the people. They didn't even mention that they were raping our jungle and our food sources. Don't you think human speaks with forked tongue? They blame us for being wild when they themselves steal and kill our other animal friends in the jungle. They caused so much distress to us. We are starving. Human raped our jungle foods and destroyed our living space. Please help us.
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Friday July 29, 2011
Crop-damaging wild jumbos captured
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
Star
BESUT: Two wild elephants which had damaged crops in Lata Tembakah here since Monday have been captured.
State Wildlife Department officers managed to capture them at 9am yesterday by using two tame elephants (Cek Mek and Kala) from the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang.
The officers managed to lure the wild elephants and fired tranquiliser darts to calm them.
Terengganu Wildlife Department director Yusof Shariff said the wild elephants, which were about seven years old, were transported to the state Wildlife Conservation Centre in Sungai Ketiar.
“We knew it would be almost impossible to capture the wild elephants without the help of Cek Mek and Kala.
“They managed to persuade the wild elephants to enter the department's transport vehicles,” he said.
Yusof said the wild elephants had done considerable damage to villagers' crops and had caused distress to the people.
Jungle News
BESUT: Two tame elephants turned traitors were used to lure our two friends in Lata Tembakah.
The proud State Wildlife Department officers captured our two friends at 9am yesterday by using two decoys (Cek Mek and Kala) from the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang.
The human lured our two friends and were subsequently fired on with tranquiliser darts to make our friends sleepy.
Terengganu Wildlife Department director Yusof Shariff seemed to know that our two friends were 7 years old. They were transported to the state Wildlife Conservation Centre in Sungai Ketiar.
They also knew that it was almost impossible to capture our two friends without the help of two traitors - Cek Mek and Kala. Cek Mek and Kala led our two friends to enter the huge transport vehicle.
The human spokeman by the name of Yusof even said that our two friends are wild and had done considerable damage to villagers' crops and had caused distress to the people. They didn't even mention that they were raping our jungle and our food sources. Don't you think human speaks with forked tongue? They blame us for being wild when they themselves steal and kill our other animal friends in the jungle. They caused so much distress to us. We are starving. Human raped our jungle foods and destroyed our living space. Please help us.
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Friday July 29, 2011
Crop-damaging wild jumbos captured
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
Star
BESUT: Two wild elephants which had damaged crops in Lata Tembakah here since Monday have been captured.
State Wildlife Department officers managed to capture them at 9am yesterday by using two tame elephants (Cek Mek and Kala) from the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang.
The officers managed to lure the wild elephants and fired tranquiliser darts to calm them.
Terengganu Wildlife Department director Yusof Shariff said the wild elephants, which were about seven years old, were transported to the state Wildlife Conservation Centre in Sungai Ketiar.
“We knew it would be almost impossible to capture the wild elephants without the help of Cek Mek and Kala.
“They managed to persuade the wild elephants to enter the department's transport vehicles,” he said.
Yusof said the wild elephants had done considerable damage to villagers' crops and had caused distress to the people.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Another Roadkill
January 15, 2011
Probe on jumbo accident Dept to summon truck driver who knocked down elephant
By IVAN LOH
Star
THE Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department has launched an investigation into a road accident that killed a female elephant at KM32 of the East-West Highway near the Banding Lake in Gerik.
Department director Shabrina Mohd Shariff said they would be summoning the 32-year-old truck driver who had knocked down the elephant to record his statement.
“We want to determine whether the driver was driving too fast or if there was poor visibility during the incident,” Shabrina said when contacted yesterday.
“The animal was also dark in colour and the driver may not have noticed it during the night,” she said.
The elephant was killed when it was hit by the cement truck at the highway on Thursday at about 1am.
Although the driver was unhurt, the front part of his vehicle was seriously damaged.
Shabrina also said that the area where the elephant was hit was a common spot where herds of elephants would cross.
“It is also common for the wild animals to cross it at night,” she said.
She also pointed out that signboards, which advise road users about the presence of elephants, were placed at various parts of the highway.
Shabrina said the elephant, with a foot diameter of 36cm, had been buried.
She said that the one killed was from a herd of five elephants from the Temenggor Forest Reserve.
There are currently about 30 elephants at the Temenggor Forest Reserve and another 60 inside the Royal Belum Forest Reserve area, which are near the highway, she added.
Probe on jumbo accident Dept to summon truck driver who knocked down elephant
By IVAN LOH
Star
THE Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department has launched an investigation into a road accident that killed a female elephant at KM32 of the East-West Highway near the Banding Lake in Gerik.
Department director Shabrina Mohd Shariff said they would be summoning the 32-year-old truck driver who had knocked down the elephant to record his statement.
“We want to determine whether the driver was driving too fast or if there was poor visibility during the incident,” Shabrina said when contacted yesterday.
“The animal was also dark in colour and the driver may not have noticed it during the night,” she said.
The elephant was killed when it was hit by the cement truck at the highway on Thursday at about 1am.
Although the driver was unhurt, the front part of his vehicle was seriously damaged.
Shabrina also said that the area where the elephant was hit was a common spot where herds of elephants would cross.
“It is also common for the wild animals to cross it at night,” she said.
She also pointed out that signboards, which advise road users about the presence of elephants, were placed at various parts of the highway.
Shabrina said the elephant, with a foot diameter of 36cm, had been buried.
She said that the one killed was from a herd of five elephants from the Temenggor Forest Reserve.
There are currently about 30 elephants at the Temenggor Forest Reserve and another 60 inside the Royal Belum Forest Reserve area, which are near the highway, she added.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Publicity Stunts
All photos taken on 14 Jan 2010 from a moving coach.When there are elephants, there are tigers too. They coexist. If you want to save the tigers, you have to save the elephants too. And without jungle how can elephants survive? Look at the rampant logging along the Butterworth-Grik highway. What have these Groups (roaring up support to save Malaysian big cat from extinction) do?? Another publicity stunt? Read my earlier article in 2008 here (map included). I did reported to one of them....but no action seen.
I am worry that a great disaster is waiting to happen after the dry season ends. Mud flow will be affecting villages downstream. Muda river will be polluted. Paddy fields in Kedah could be affected (although these logging are from Perak). I may sound pessimistic. But mark my words. Until then, when the disaster happened, it will be another "Acts of God".
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Thursday January 21, 2010
Groups roaring up support to save Malaysian big cat from extinction
By YENG AI CHUN
Star
aichun@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The Year of the Tiger is upon us – but for wildlife conservationists, it has to be the year of saving the tiger from extinction.
The Malayan tiger is down to a mere 500 in the wild in Peninsular Malaysia and it will need a concerted effort from all to double the number under the Tiger Action Plan, WWF Malaysia chief executive Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma.
However, saving Malaysia’s declining tiger population is no longer a job only for conservationists but needs wider support from the public and private sectors, said
“You can be the person who helped save the tigers, or you can be the one who helped wipe them out,” Dr Dionysius said yesterday.
The Tiger Action Plan, which was launched 2008, aims to have 1,000 wild tigers in Malaysia by 2020.
“This is the best chance we have to seriously attempt to save tigers from extinction, mainly because of the national Tiger Action Plan and policies in place and the unprecedented cooperation between the Government and NGO community.
“With the eyes of the world upon the tiger this year, it is our chance to showcase Malaysia’s commitment towards the target of 1,000 wild tigers,” said Dr Dionysius.
MYCAT (Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers) would also be launching a Year of the Tiger programme, a series of public awareness campaigns targeting schools and both the rural and urban public.
“We will be kicking things off at Dong Zen Temple (in Jenjarom, Selangor), where 1,000 faces will be painted to symbolise the 1,000 tigers we hope to have by the year 2020,” said Dr Dionysius.
The plan mainly identifies five factors threatening tigers – habitat loss and fragmentation; commercial poaching; human-tiger conflict; declining prey base; and science deficiency in the monitoring of tigers and their prey.
TRAFFIC senior communications officer Elizabeth John said commercial poaching was the “most urgent threat” to the tigers.
“Poaching has the capacity to do the most damage in the shortest period of time,” she said.
The tiger population has been decimated due to illegal hunting for their skins, bones and other body parts.
Those with information about illegal poaching or trading can make a report via the Tiger Crime Hotline at 019-3564194 019-3564194.
The Tiger Action Plan was formulated by the Government through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, together with the Malaysian Nature Society, TRAFFIC South-East Asia, the Wildlife Conservation Society-Malaysia Programme and WWF-Malaysia, using the collaborative platform of MYCAT.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Elephants 'die earlier in zoos'
Elephants 'die earlier in zoos'
Zoo elephants have a very repetitive, boring lifestyle
A new study comparing wild, captive and working elephants has found that living in zoos can significantly shorten the animals' lives.
Writing in the journal Science, researchers say obesity is a major cause of death in adult zoo elephants.
They also cite stress as the key factor in the death of young captive animals when they are moved from zoo to zoo.
They say ideally zoos should not take on new elephants if they cannot provide suitable environments.
Still births
The study focused on the lives of female elephants, comparing more than 4,500 individuals. The researchers looked at wild elephants in Kenya's Ambosseli National Park, working elephants in the Burmese logging industry, and zoo elephant populations in Europe.
For African elephants, the average lifespan in captivity was only 19 years compared with 56 years in the wild.
Rates of mortality amongst zoo-born Asian elephants were two to three times higher than for those born in the logging camps.
Ros Clubb from Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) says diet and lifestyle are the key factors influencing elephant lifespan in zoos.
"The vast majority are overweight in zoos, this could explain the high still-birth rates and why they're dying early. Bigger mothers have bigger calves and more of these are still-born," she said.
Early death was also more likely to occur in captive animals born in the wild or transferred between zoos. Dr Clubb says this is probably caused by the stress of being taken away from their herd, mothers or family group.
"In the wild they live in large stable groups, separation does cause stress; we know this from studies of other species," she said.
Working elephants
Khyune Mar, now at the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at Sheffield University, used to work for Myanma Timber Enterprise, the commercial arm of Burma's forest ministry.
The company uses elephants to haul logs from the forests. Analysis of the lives of these working Asian elephants was based on data Dr Mar collected in Burma.
She says their longer life expectancy - more than 40 years compared with less than 19 in zoo elephants - can be put down to their lifestyle; for half the time the Burmese working elephants are allowed to act naturally.
"We keep working elephants in the workforce for no more than six to eight hours a day. For the remaining hours we let them loose in the forest, they live like wild elephants, they can meet and mate with wild elephants, they have a full elephant life, good exercise and good food," she said.
Dr Mar says there are lessons from the treatment of these working elephants that could be taken on board by zoos.
"They have a very monotonous lifestyle, every day is the same for zoo elephants, they have to live in the same compound, with limited roaming, this makes them more stressed," she said.
"They need a huge home range, more systematic enrichment, bigger compounds, grooming areas, mud wallows, hills."
She says its important to allow them the freedom to behave naturally and has a straightforward message for zoos.
"If the zoo does not have space, its simple - don't take elephants."
The report's authors say transfers of elephants between zoos should be avoided, calves should be kept with their mothers for as long as possible to avoid stress-related death, and there should be regular screening for signs of obesity.
UK zoos
A separate study looking in detail at all the elephants in UK zoos has found significant health problems and evidence of widespread psychological distress.
Researchers from Bristol University studied 77 animals in 13 zoos and found that almost half of the elephants displayed abnormal behaviour.
This included repeatedly swaying the trunk, pacing backwards and forwards and retracing their steps over and over again.
"Some of the animals were born in the zoos and must have developed it there," said Chris Sherwin, from Bristol University's Department of Veterinary Science.
"It's possibly their way of coping with stress, but almost certainly indicates they're in an environment which is inappropriate for their needs. This is not behaviour you see in the wild."
The report says unless the animals' health and psychological suffering can be addressed, the ethics of keeping elephants in zoos must be questioned.
"In my opinion, given the correct housing and care it would be ethically acceptable to keep a few elephants in a few zoos, but certainly not the numbers we have in all the zoos we have now," Dr Sherwin added.
The Zoos Forum, the UK government's independent advisers on zoos, will consider the new findings and report to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) within six months.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7777413.stm
Zoo elephants have a very repetitive, boring lifestyle
A new study comparing wild, captive and working elephants has found that living in zoos can significantly shorten the animals' lives.
Writing in the journal Science, researchers say obesity is a major cause of death in adult zoo elephants.
They also cite stress as the key factor in the death of young captive animals when they are moved from zoo to zoo.
They say ideally zoos should not take on new elephants if they cannot provide suitable environments.
Still births
The study focused on the lives of female elephants, comparing more than 4,500 individuals. The researchers looked at wild elephants in Kenya's Ambosseli National Park, working elephants in the Burmese logging industry, and zoo elephant populations in Europe.
For African elephants, the average lifespan in captivity was only 19 years compared with 56 years in the wild.
Rates of mortality amongst zoo-born Asian elephants were two to three times higher than for those born in the logging camps.
Ros Clubb from Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) says diet and lifestyle are the key factors influencing elephant lifespan in zoos.
"The vast majority are overweight in zoos, this could explain the high still-birth rates and why they're dying early. Bigger mothers have bigger calves and more of these are still-born," she said.
Early death was also more likely to occur in captive animals born in the wild or transferred between zoos. Dr Clubb says this is probably caused by the stress of being taken away from their herd, mothers or family group.
"In the wild they live in large stable groups, separation does cause stress; we know this from studies of other species," she said.
Working elephants
Khyune Mar, now at the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at Sheffield University, used to work for Myanma Timber Enterprise, the commercial arm of Burma's forest ministry.
The company uses elephants to haul logs from the forests. Analysis of the lives of these working Asian elephants was based on data Dr Mar collected in Burma.
She says their longer life expectancy - more than 40 years compared with less than 19 in zoo elephants - can be put down to their lifestyle; for half the time the Burmese working elephants are allowed to act naturally.
"We keep working elephants in the workforce for no more than six to eight hours a day. For the remaining hours we let them loose in the forest, they live like wild elephants, they can meet and mate with wild elephants, they have a full elephant life, good exercise and good food," she said.
Dr Mar says there are lessons from the treatment of these working elephants that could be taken on board by zoos.
"They have a very monotonous lifestyle, every day is the same for zoo elephants, they have to live in the same compound, with limited roaming, this makes them more stressed," she said.
"They need a huge home range, more systematic enrichment, bigger compounds, grooming areas, mud wallows, hills."
She says its important to allow them the freedom to behave naturally and has a straightforward message for zoos.
"If the zoo does not have space, its simple - don't take elephants."
The report's authors say transfers of elephants between zoos should be avoided, calves should be kept with their mothers for as long as possible to avoid stress-related death, and there should be regular screening for signs of obesity.
UK zoos
A separate study looking in detail at all the elephants in UK zoos has found significant health problems and evidence of widespread psychological distress.
Researchers from Bristol University studied 77 animals in 13 zoos and found that almost half of the elephants displayed abnormal behaviour.
This included repeatedly swaying the trunk, pacing backwards and forwards and retracing their steps over and over again.
"Some of the animals were born in the zoos and must have developed it there," said Chris Sherwin, from Bristol University's Department of Veterinary Science.
"It's possibly their way of coping with stress, but almost certainly indicates they're in an environment which is inappropriate for their needs. This is not behaviour you see in the wild."
The report says unless the animals' health and psychological suffering can be addressed, the ethics of keeping elephants in zoos must be questioned.
"In my opinion, given the correct housing and care it would be ethically acceptable to keep a few elephants in a few zoos, but certainly not the numbers we have in all the zoos we have now," Dr Sherwin added.
The Zoos Forum, the UK government's independent advisers on zoos, will consider the new findings and report to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) within six months.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7777413.stm
Friday, July 18, 2008
Elephants' Orang Asli woes vs Orang Asli's elephant woes
How would you like to be in their shoes? Image the elephant is writing the news.
Lets read the two versions(news) below and get to understand the woes of elephants vs Orang Asli.
Who do you think is the original occupants? Elephants or Orang Asli?
Who do you think is the original occupants? Elephants or Orang Asli?
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Forestexplorers Online » Local News
2008/07/18
Elephants' Orang Asli woes
TEMERLOH: A new rubber plantation with 60 Orang Asli at Kampung Bukit Ngeri, Lanchang near here have been encroaching on elephants' territory and have been causing nightmares, food scarcity and human disturbances to the wild elephants.
The problem started last year when about 20 elephants were surprised to find the rattans and bamboos gone and replaced by rubber trees. The head elephant, Jumbo King, 74, said they tried to eat the 73ha rubber trees opened three years ago but can't.
Jumbo King said some human activities can be seen at the rubber plantation in the day.
He said elephants had stopped moving around during the day over concerns that human might harm them.
State Wildlife and National Parks Department director Saharudiin Anan said three officers had been sent and action would be taken after assessing the situation.
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NST Online » Local News
2008/07/18
Orang Asli's elephant woes
TEMERLOH: A herd of wild elephants encroaching on a rubber plantation have been giving 60 Orang Asli of Kampung Bukit Ngeri, Lanchang near here, sleepless nights.
The problem started last year and has worsened this year when the herd of 20 animals destroyed their rubber trees. Village head Batin Dinkuk, 74, said almost the entire 73ha rubber plantation that was opened three years ago, had been destroyed.
Dinkuk said some of the elephants had wandered into the village at night.
He said villagers had stopped patrolling at night over concerns the animals might harm them.
State Wildlife and National Parks Department director Saharudin Anan said three officers had been sent and action would be taken after assessing the situation.
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