Footage of baby elephant beaten at Berlin Tierpark

Below is the footage of the baby elephant that was beaten at Berlin Tierpark ( http://southafricull.blogspot.com/2008/09/baby-elephant-cruelly-beaten-with-metal.html )

Direct YouTube link :

http://www.youtube.com/v/ESy6MGEc30w

Baby Elephant Cruelly Beaten With Metal Stick

Hundreds of visitors of Berlin Tierpark (one of two zoos in Berlin) – amongst them many children – had to watch an elephant caretaker freaking out and beating a young elephant on the head and body with merciless fierce and brutality on the 3rd September 2008.

“The caretaker beat the baby elephant with full force and extreme power using a metal rod – first on the head, afterwards on the small body of the baby. After all this had happened, the animal kept standing in one place very quietly for a while in the outside enclosure. Only minutes before that incident happened, exactly the same caretaker had kicked an elephant”, says Frank Albrecht, eye-witness and zoo expert for PETA Germany. “Many of the parents were quite shocked to learn that such brute force was used to break the animals’ spirits.”

 

The baby elephant’s mother, BIBI, was likely a traumatised cull orphan who was sold by Zimbabwe animal trader Bode to the Berlin zoo on the 10th October 1987 (when she was approximately two years old).

Animal Rights Africa is not surprised to see such video evidence. Animal rights groups around the globe have been criticising the fact that elephants in zoos, circuses and the elephant back safari industry have their spirits broken, with beatings, domination and humiliation. These methods cause fear, uncertainty and aggression which often lead elephants to run amok years later. Berlin Tierpark itself had to transfer a female elephant, MAFUTA, after she had attacked and injured an experienced caretaker in 2006. It is more than likely that this kind of training and humiliation caused her to see humans as her enemies.

 “Animal caretakers cruelly beating an animal or kicking an elephant have clearly missed their calling. For this reason, we call for staff consequences at Berlin Tierpark”, explains Frank Albrecht. “As long as elephants have to spend their days in captivity, human violence and suffering will remain part of their daily routine.”

 Animal Rights Africa calls on the South African government to ban the export and sale of elephants and other wild animals to overseas and local zoos, circuses and so-called “safari parks”.

To watch the video, please visit: 

http://www.peta.de/unterhaltung/tierpark_berlin_babyelefant_brutal.1811.html

 

ZIMBABWE: National Parks Authorize Shooting of Elephants

ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE

13th August 2008

NATIONAL PARKS AUTHORIZE SHOOTING OF ELEPHANTS

In the past week, we have received numerous very disturbing reports from tourists and locals alike regarding the wholesale killing of wildlife, in particular, elephants.

According to sources, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management has embarked on an "Elephant Population Management Programme" and this year, around 1800 elephants have already been shot in Hwange National Park alone. Furthermore, they plan on shooting another 1000. National Parks have allegedly contracted South African hunters to shoot the elephants.

It is of great concern that not only are elephant bulls being shot, but cows as well, leaving orphaned calves behind. We have also been informed that they intend to capture the orphans to be domesticated for elephant rides. Elephants with big tusks are being especially targeted.

According to our sources, the tusks and skins have not been sent to Central Stores so many people are wondering what has happened to them. We have the names of some of the unscrupulous hunters and Safari Companies who are assisting in the decimation of the wildlife we have left here.

National Parks have apparently been issuing permits to clients to shoot other animals for rations as well - not only in Hwange National Park, but also in other National Park areas around the country. In addition to elephants, the ration animals include buffalo, lion, kudu and impala.

A hunt was conducted in Chizarira last month where 2 buffalo were shot. Chizarira is not a designated hunting area. The hunt was conducted by war veterans and 2 South African hunters, with the approval of a National Parks official. On another occasion, an elephant with 90 pound tusks was shot by a South African hunter in the same park but first prize goes to a hunter known as "The London Hunter" who has shot 47 elephants in Chizarira alone.

Before the March elections, numerous animals were shot for meat to encourage the hungry people to attend the ZANU PF political rallies and before the June run-off elections, more animals were shot for the same reason. Since the June election, the ruling party has held countless victory celebrations country-wide and animals have been shot for these celebrations as well. We have now just had our Heroes Day commemorations and National Parks donated 7 elephants and 7 buffalo to Mashonaland Central Province for food at the celebrations.

Gun shots are heard regularly in Kariba and last Saturday, a fresh elephant carcass was found about 800 metres from the crocodile farm. The meat, tusks and skin had been removed.

ELEPHANT REMAINS FOUND IN KARIBA

Reports have been received of wire snares hanging neatly from hooks on the trees around the National Parks living quarters at Nyanyana Camp in Kariba and a seemingly constant supply of fresh meat hanging from wires. A couple of years ago, Kariba was teeming with impala, wart hog, waterbuck etc. but now, it is very rare to see any of the smaller plains game there. Impala, which has always been abundant all over Zimbabwe is almost non-existent in Kariba today.

It is heartbreaking that the wildlife is paying the biggest price of all in the economic collapse of this country. The wild animals are the best tourist attraction Zimbabwe has to offer and we sincerely hope the authorities will come to their senses and realize that before it is all gone.

Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
Landline: 263 4 336710
Landline/Fax: 263 4 339065
Mobile: 263 11 603 213
Email: galorand@mweb.co.zw
Website: www.zctf.mweb.co.zw
Website: www.zimbabwe-art.com

URGENT Action Needed Just send an email

Please read this:

http://www.namibian.com.na/2008/July/national/081B018B76.html

Then please email one or all of the following people:

Deputy Minister Leon Jooste: ljooste@met.gov.na

Director Wildlife and Parks Ben Beytell: bbeytell@mweb.com.na

Permanent Secretary Dr Shangula: kshangula@mweb.com.na

...and use the letter below as a guideline or template or simply copy and paste it:

Dear <name>,

I have recently been informed that the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism has issued three hunting permits to six conservancies in the Kunene Region for shooting three elephant bulls in the current hunting season. I am aware that in 2006 there were only five bulls of breeding age. Not only is killing elephants unacceptable but allowing them to be hunted is threatening the very existence of the desert elephant in Namibia.

This letter is to inform you that I will be boycotting Namibia as a travel destination until such time as the Namibian government places a ban on the hunting of elephants.

Yours Sincerely, <your name>

Please send an email as soon as possible time is of the essence - we would like to stop this senseless killing !

Ivory Sale to China - so much for CITES

UPDATE 24.07.2008

Sadly, but not unexpectedly, The Cites Standing Committee endorsed the Secretariat's decision to permit China to bid for the 2nd Southern African Ivory stockpile,  (9 votes in favour, 3 agains and 2 abstentions) so elephants will continue their decline Africa-wide, betrayed by hidden trade agendas and human avariciousness.  Shame on mankind for the suffering and slaughter of Africa's priceless heritage, and an animal whose emotional anguish duplicates that of our own under similar circumstances.

Speak up for elephants!

The decision to sanction the sale of ivory to China is not only ill informed and irresponsible, it has potentially signed the death warrant for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of wild elephants in Africa

Elephants cannot speak for themselves and it is the responsibility of compassionate, caring and informed men and women to give a voice to elephants.  We are therefore asking our supporters to sign a petition against the sanctioning of China as a legal buyer of ivory.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/CITES/

We have already added our name to this petition and hope you will do the same.  We would also urge you to copy and paste the statement below into an email to your friends and colleagues, so that they too can choose to sign this petition and speak out for elephants.

The author of this petition will present it to Gordon Brown, as well as representatives of the CITES standing committee.

Thank you.

'They're Like Us,' Elephant Researchers Say

Video from an article entitled :

From Kenya to Tennessee, Elephants With PTSD Symptoms Are Finding Some Peace
By KIMBERLY LAUNIER July 24, 2008



To see the full article go to :
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5435466&page=1

HELP STOP SOUTH AFRICA’S UNJUST WAR ON ELEPHANTS

IF WE DON’T STOP THEM, THEY WILL MURDER THIS MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN …

And thousands more like them. Once again, the ivory trade and hunting industries have convinced the South African government to allow mass murder of elephant families in the name of “culling,” a sick euphemism for mass murder of highly intelligent and social beings. The Big Lies told over and over again must be exposed.

HELP STOP SOUTH AFRICA’S UNJUST WAR ON ELEPHANTS. BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE