Elephants killed for their tusks and/or their meat
In June 2007 - journeymanpictures reported:
Conservationists now believe that most elephants in central Africa are poached for their meat and not for their ivory. This shocking report reveals the scale of the elephant meat industry.
Pictures of elephants being killed for meat consumption in Africa
The following pictures have been taken from the website titled
"how to eat elephant meat in Zimbabwe"
Eating elephant sex organs to improve
sexual power
Eating elephant sex organ can improve sexual powers some people believe and a new trend has been developing for eating elephant sex organs to increase sex power in Thailand.
Elephants, the national symbol of Thailand have been slaughtered for meat - trunk and sex organs are high demand in black market. Investing agencies have been alerted last month (January 2012) when two elephants have been killed for meat in a national park in Thailand. Resources said that all part of elephant are used for eating and even without cooking as meat salad.
Growing taste for elephant meat in Thailand
raises risk of extinction
In January, 2012 Daily Mail reported:
The elephant, a national symbol in Thailand, is facing a new threat because of a developing taste for its meat in the country, it was claimed today.
The new interest in consuming the animal includes everything from trunks to sex organs, and could pose a significant risk to the survival of the species.
Wildlife officials said that they were alerted to the practice after finding two elephants slaughtered last month in a national park in western Thailand.
'The poachers took away the elephants' sex organs and trunks ... for human consumption,' Damrong Phidet, director-general of Thailand's wildlife agency, said in a telephone interview. He said that some of the meat was being consumed raw, in a elephant meat sushi style.
Poachers typically just remove tusks, which are most commonly found on Asian male elephants and command high figures on the black market.
But a market for elephant meat, could lead to killing of the wider elephant population, Damrong said.
'If you keep hunting elephants for this, then they'll become extinct,' he said.Consuming elephant meat is not common in Thailand, but some Asian cultures believe consuming animals' reproductive organs can boost sexual prowess.
Damrong said the elephant meat was ordered by restaurants in Phuket, a popular travel destination in the country's south. It wasn't clear if the diners were foreigners.
The accusation drew a quick rebuttal from Phuket Governor Tri Akradecha, who told Thai media that he had never heard of such restaurants but ordered officials to look into the matter.
The trend is a worry because poaching elephants is already banned in the country, and trafficking or possessing poached animal parts also is illegal.
Elephant tusks are sought in the illegal ivory trade, and baby wild elephants are sometimes poached to be trained for talent shows.
'The situation has come to a crisis point. The longer we allow these cruel acts to happen, the sooner they will become extinct,' Damrong said.
The quest for ivory remains the top reason poachers kill elephants in Thailand, other environmentalists say.Soraida Salwala, the founder of Friends of the Asian Elephant foundation, said a full grown pair of tusks could be sold from 1 million to 2 million baht (£20,000 to £40,300), while the estimated value of an elephant's penis is more than 30,000 baht (£607).
'There's only a handful of people who like to eat elephant meat, but once there's demand, poachers will find it hard to resist the big money,' she cautioned.
Thailand has fewer than 3,000 wild elephants and about 4,000 domesticated elephants, according to the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
Source
The price for a set of tusks from a large elephant could earn upwards of $5,000 US The meat from the same animal could get the same
A growing demand for elephant meat is causing alarm for authorities who fear that an emerging trend will push an already vulnerable species even closer to extinction. After being tipped off, wildlife authorities in Thailand discovered that a couple of elephants living in a national park in western Thailand had been killed, and this time for their meat. “The poachers took away the elephants’ sex organs and trunks…for human consumption,” explained the director-general of Thailand’s wildlife agency, Damrong Phidet - see previous article -
He further explained that the elephant meat was notably eaten raw. While it is argued that elephant meat is not commonly eaten in Thailand, there is a belief in other Asian countries that by consuming the elephants’ sexual organs, a person can achieve greater sexual skill. And while the main focus in the past has been on eliminating the ivory trade, a new threat has been posed: and the money is just as good.
Generally speaking, the price for a good quality set of tusks from a large elephant could earn upwards of $5,000 US. The meat from the same animal could get the same. And the prospects of killing an animal with both would double the price.
Recently three poachers were arrested in Thailand for participating in the killing of and trade of elephant meat. And judging by the way fingers are being pointed, there are sure to be a lot more in the mix. Between those found in the wild and in national parks, only around 7,000 elephants currently reside in Thailand.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has also reported on the issue in regards to elephants in Africa, as well. The report commented on the likelihood of “commanditaires”—people with higher authority, who may be involved in government, military, and businesses—financing hunting operations around the world, in order to feed their need for elephant meat. However, what it comes down to is that elephants are being hunted; and regardless of whether it is for their meat or ivory, the continued slaughter of these animals will eventually see to it that the species no longer exists.
Please go to the link to SIGN the PETITION asking the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to protect the elephants of both Thailand and Africa from poachers now looking to cash in on the meat of the animals.