Conservation Failure? Elephant Kills 25 People

[Flipper Dude]

If you have read The Temple Tigers or any of Jim Corbett's fine books you would understand the culture and indeed a different view to life and death. I can't say it is better or worse ...... They try and live with ...We in the west have destroyed almost all our predators.

Speaking off of the cuff, without checking, I’m betting that we have as many wolves and grizzly bear and mountain lions now as anytime in the last century or so. I could be wrong. If one kills a human, we will have one less. Or several less, just to make sure we get the right one.

 

[rookhawk]

Is this a failure from conservation for not handling a problem that should have been rectified with the first death not the 25th?

The Same Wild Elephant Has Killed Four Members of One Family Over 14 Years

The elephant's name is Dhurbe, and at this point he's basically famous for killing the humans that live near him.

www.vice.com

Anytime we're dealing with large and dangerous fauna, the very best thing that can be done to avoid human wildlife conflict is selective hunting.

Whether we're speaking of grizzly bears, mountain lions, or asian elephants, their awareness that humans are the apex predator and CAN kill them changes their overall behavior for the better.

I've seen the nuisance of Asian elephants countless times. They block trucks, rob them of their produce, harass farmers, and a bull in musth can be a mankiller of first order.

The species is sacred, the individual animal is not. Unchecked bad animal behavior and overpopulation is going to cause the species at large more problems than a selective cull.

 

[farmer_john]

If you have read The Temple Tigers or any of Jim Corbett's fine books you would understand the culture and indeed a different view to life and death. I can't say it is better or worse ...... They try and live with ...We in the west have destroyed almost all our predators.

Nah... ours just are in congress or chilling with their friends on private islands.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Just completed reading a couple of articles about this elephant. I must say I both admire and apal his character.

Seems Dhurbe roams a specific area. Dhurbe has a mate, a female and he kills people and destroys property encroaching into his domain.

Who can't admire an animal that has, relatively speaking, human like traits and an equal "playing ground", (referring to laws if he were a human being), to protect his area (home and family) against invaders/ aggressors.

...... (rhetorically asking)

....If this was a human - human conflict wonder how many people would be on Dhurbe's side?

....after all people have been injured, killed, and properties...and countries.... destroyed for less; given the same situation, defending themselves, family, and property....and country from aggression.

LMAO.... Dhurbe, the pachaderm equivalent to humans' hero Chuck Norris.....after being wounded by several soldiers' bullets. Dhurbe unarmed, single handedly....excuse me.... trunk and with trimmed tusks, attacks and damages the fort/post from which 96 soldiers were sent from to kill him.

Of course if it had been Chuck Norris storming the fort/post, it would have been utterly destroyed and its inhabitants totally annihilated.

It is appalling, regardless of animal species, for such a known dangerous animal to be allowed to continue to commit, such vast amounts of damages, killings, and human suffering not to have been killed on the onset.

The one article said that Dhurbe was tranquilized/darted, radio collared, and his tusks trimmed. WTH were they thinking? LOL. He would feel demascalined and stop his rampage.

It is saddening that both the human population must continue to endure the killings, and property damages and the India government hasn't modified their, IIRC, 1973 law to allow the killing of such rogue animals that have been determined a constant threat to the human population.

IIRC, Same article: ....the government has made restitution to those affected by Dhurbe....(Sarcastically smirking) How does any government make restitution to people who have lost loved ones? Especially when it's the government's fault for allowing this continuation.

 

[Doug3006]

Aside from the obvious lack of funds for animal control in a country like Nepal, the cultural and religious aversion to killing animals is almost certainly part of the problem here. I’m sensitive to differences in culture, traditions and religious beliefs. At the risk of being labeled a supremacist, there comes a point at which I have to speak out concerning such backward practices. If I read correctly, the latest “solution” will be containment and real time tracking. In a country with a GDP ranked 124th of 195 countries on earth. What could possibly go wrong? Shoot the beast, distribute the meat to anyone willing to eat it, and be done with it.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Aside from the obvious lack of funds for animal control in a country like Nepal, the cultural and religious aversion to killing animals is almost certainly part of the problem here. I’m sensitive to differences in culture, traditions and religious beliefs. At the risk of being labeled a supremacist, there comes a point at which I have to speak out concerning such backward practices. If I read correctly, the latest “solution” will be containment and real time tracking. In a country with a GDP ranked 124th of 195 countries on earth. What could possibly go wrong? Shoot the beast, distribute the meat to anyone willing to eat it, and be done with it.

I know a country with a GDP ranked 1st of 195 countries on earth where containment and real time tracking of 120,000 murderers and 2,000 on (perpetual) death row is the backward practice. It is claimed that capital punishment does not deter homicides. Maybe shooting and eating rogue elephants does not deter other rogue elephants? You can extend the logic to the @rookhawk comment above.

 

[leslie hetrick]

I know a country with a GDP ranked 1st of 195 countries on earth where containment and real time tracking of 120,000 murderers and 2,000 on (perpetual) death row is the backward practice. It is claimed that capital punishment does not deter homicides. Maybe shooting and eating rogue elephants does not deter other rogue elephants? You can extend the logic to the @rookhawk comment above.

maybe not, but the one shot will not get to be a repeat offender.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Now I’m confused.

Would deter that one

 

[DaddyFlip]

maybe not, but the one shot will not get to be a repeat offender.

I don't disagree, but that's not the prevailing practice because of the culture here. Why should it be the prevailing practice there if a different culture dictates?

Same applies to @Flipper Dude comment. We always say that, but that's not the practice.

Yes, I am conflating human life with animal life only to make a point; to differentiate the cultural norms.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Still confused, but I’m into a killer martini, so no surprise. I WILL say that a culture that values the life of an animal over 25 people is one effed up culture, cultural norms be damned

“One culture is not superior or more advanced than another culture”.

“We must respect all cultures”

Complete bullshit . No respect from me.

Not that they give a damn about my opinion

 

[Killingtime]

If you have read The Temple Tigers or any of Jim Corbett's fine books you would understand the culture and indeed a different view to life and death. I can't say it is better or worse ...... They try and live with ...We in the west have destroyed almost all our predators.

I have read Jim Corbett(he is the author that made me want to hunt tigers in the first place), I also loved “no beast so fierce” by Dane hucklebridge ( about the tiger of champwata and a history of tiger killings. And they used to kill leopard and tiger that killed. I’m sure they killed elephants that killed them as well.. otherwise they never would have become endangered four decades ago. So I don’t understand the keeping of this one.

 

[Killingtime]

I don't disagree, but that's not the prevailing practice because of the culture here. Why should it be the prevailing practice there if a different culture dictates?

Same applies to @Flipper Dude comment. We always say that, but that's not the practice.

Yes, I am conflating human life with animal life only to make a point; to differentiate the cultural norms.

How did they become become endangered if killing them when they attack or destroy crops wasn’t the practice at least in some villages? It surely was not only habitat loss. I wonder how much of the poaching was really just solving a village problem..
I maybe wrong but I do wonder.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Still confused, but I’m into a killer martini, so no surprise. I WILL say that a culture that values the life of an animal over 25 people is one effed up culture, cultural norms be damned

“One culture is not superior or more advanced than another culture”.

“We must respect all cultures”

Complete bullshit . No respect from me.

Not that they give a damn about my opinion

Then go over there and kill it. Maybe it can't be killed...? Maybe it has some supernatural aura protecting it for a higher purpose. Why were the Tsavo lions so successful for so long, and yet, they never acquired names? I could now be conflating religions to make a point, but maybe Dhurbe is Ganesha's warrior? I'm thinking of an English Bob quote, ""Well, there's a dignity to royalty. A majesty that precludes the likelihood of assassination. If you were to point a pistol at a king or a queen, your hands would shake as though palsied."

It's easy for those of us living in multi-cultural societies to feel the way you do, but in more singular cultures things may be different.

@Killingtime I have no idea; I'm confining my comments to the here and now due to an abundance of historical ignorance. @Hunter-Habib probably knows it all.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Did you just go full on English Bob? Well, we saw what Little Bill made of him, did we not?

Damn, I’d hunt him right now, given the opportunity. I’ve killed a few elephants. I ain’t skeered.

 

[Killingtime]

Then go over there and kill it. Maybe it can't be killed...? Maybe it has some supernatural aura protecting it for a higher purpose. Why were the Tsavo lions so successful for so long, and yet, they never acquired names? I could now be conflating religions to make a point, but maybe Dhurbe is Ganesha's warrior? I'm thinking of an English Bob quote, ""Well, there's a dignity to royalty. A majesty that precludes the likelihood of assassination. If you were to point a pistol at a king or a queen, your hands would shake as though palsied."

It's easy for those of us living in multi-cultural societies to feel the way you do, but in more singular cultures things may be different.

@Killingtime I have no idea; I'm confining my comments to the here and now due to an abundance of historical ignorance. @Hunter-Habib probably knows it all.

Isn’t India the third biggest Muslim country? How does that play into them keeping animals sacred?

 

[Killingtime]

Did you just go full on English Bob? Well, we saw what Little Bill made of him, did we not?

Damn, I’d hunt him right now, given the opportunity. I’ve killed a few elephants. I ain’t skeered.

I love unforgiven

 

[DaddyFlip]

Did you just go full on English Bob? Well, we saw what Little Bill made of him, did we not?

Damn, I’d hunt him right now, given the opportunity. I’ve killed a few elephants. I ain’t skeered.

Yep, I went full English Bob, talking about the queen, NEAR Independence Day!

Isn’t India the third biggest Muslim country? How does that play into them keeping animals sacred?

I have no idea. I'm only arguing that their elephant has nothing to do with US.

 

[leslie hetrick]

to be frank, the ones deciding on if the offending animal should be killed live far and away from the killing fields and face no danger at all if the animal is killed or not, its the locals who must bear the burden and grief. as a man who would sooner see my familey alive and well over the life of a crazed dumbo, let the hunt begin.

 

[Killingtime]

I wonder if WDM Bell ever killed an elephant with atleast 25 kills to its name? If not here’s a real opportunity to make a name for yourself.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Serious question: What would be the result if some motivated local happened across the beast and took him out with a stick, a stone, a spear, or a sword?