CULLING Natasha McLaren

Deanna Cooper

What Is Culling

Culling is the process of removing animals from a group based on specific criteria.

Typically this is done because the animal is causing ecosystem damage.

How They Damage the Environment

No species, other than man, can modify habitats as rapidly and extensively as elephant. Too many elephants causes loss of trees, grasses, sensitive grazing speciesReplaced by thickets, impala and kudu.Some of the damages caused:

soil cappingreduced infiltration of water increased run off of rainwaterleads to accelerated soil erosion.

History of Elephant Culling

Elephants were killed due to damage of the ecosystem

This caused the elephants to become endangered

Now the elephants are preserved in parks

The elephants are thriving in these parks and causing damage to the ecosystem

Now people are starting to cull in these parks• This mostly takes place in Krugar National Park

South African Elephants

Sharpshooters in helicopters routinely killed hundreds of elephants at a time as a way to manage destructive herds. Big game hunting had severely depleted southern Africa's elephant population by the early 1900sSouth Africa announced it will end its 1995 suspension of elephant culling to manage its burgeoning elephant populations.

Since the 1995 suspension, the elephant population in Kruger National Park has grown from 8,000 to an estimated 12,500

Elephants in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a population of 100 000 elephant in habitats that can support about half that number.

Mismanagement of the elephants is a serious danger that puts humans, elephants and the environment in danger.

Culling Protests

“A Price On The Head Of Every Elephant In Kruger National Park?”

Many see culling in South Africa as a flaw in logic“Culling is completely unnecessary and illogical given the number of alternatives available” Culling is seen as a short-term fix, not a long-term solution

How they killed the Elephants

Hunters used the lethal transquillising drug succinylcholine chloride (better known as Scoline),

They were herded together then darted with the drug

If they didn’t die fast, they were shot in the head.

More than 16,000 elephants cruelly killed in Krugar National Park

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtWczF2hRuY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiQs0U_TkBM

Resources

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022500970.htmlhttp://www.kubatana.net/docs/wild/graham_child_elephant_culling_0401.pdfhttp://www.southafrica.info/about/sustainable/culling-150807.htmhttp://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_southern_africa/join_campaigns/national_regional_efforts/the_debate_on_elephant_culling_in_south_africa/shortcut_of_elephant_culling%238217;s_cruel_and_gory_past.php=http://www.youtube.com/v/GiQs0U_TkBM&hl=en_US&fs=1&