Poaching of elephants for ivory – tragedies on the ground – photo gallery

in #elephants7 years ago

1.17 Poaching, Big Elephant bones and Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Remainings of a bush elephant bull in southern Chad, 2017. At least 5 elephants have been killed during a single poaching event. Arthur F. Sniegon inspecting the site.

1.13 Elephant skulls in Chad, Save-elephants.org.jpg

Skulls and big bones of bush elephants in western Chad, 2013. Nearly 90 elephants have been killed during one day. Meat has been afterwards removed by local villagers.

009 Means of elephant poaching.jpg

Nowadays however, the firearms represent in Central Africa the vast majority of the poached elephants.

1.10 Elephant bones in Chad, Save-elephants.org.jpg

Villagers taking advantage of the meat for free made any investigation on the ground impossible. Chad 2013.

1.9 Elephant baby lower jaw, Chad - Save-elephants.org.jpg

During the poaching massacre, also small elephants have been killed. Numerous pregnant females as well...

1.8 Dried elephant meat, Chad - Save-elephants.org.jpg

Dried elephant meat for sale several kilometres away from the poaching site. Chad, 2013

1.14 Masakr 90 slonů, Čad, 2013.jpg

Ninety dead elephants represented nearly 10 % of the total elephant population in the whole Chad. Probably the Sudanese militias Janjaweed were responsible for this tragedy. Arthur F. Sniegon inspecting the site.

1.11 Elephant skeleton - Save-elephants.org.jpg

Elephant bull skeleton in the bush of central Chad, 2013.

1.12 Elephant skulls 3 Chad - Save-elephants.org.jpg

Remainings of the elephant family unit in central Chad, 2013. Note that the tusks have not been hacked off as usual. The poachers simply waited several days and returned to collect the loosened tusks more easily without any efforts later.

1.28 Poaching,five month old carcass ,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Bush elephant carcasse nearly 5 months old, lying during the dry season in Central Chad. Only slowly being decomposed by termites. Arthur F. Sniegon inspecting the site.

1.19 Poaching,5 months old carcass,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

The same elephant body from another angle. Chad, 2017

1.15 Poaching, 5 months old elephant body carcass,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Five months old elephant carcasse in central Chad, 2017. The elephant has been shot dead just 1 km from a department capital, the noise attracted armed forces before the poachers were able to remove the ivory. Poachers however escaped.

1.16 Poaching, 5 months old elephant body,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Young elephant shot dead in central Chad, 2017

1.18 Poaching, Five month old carcass and Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Old elephant bull just few hundred metres away from the above carcasse. Arthur F. Sniegon attempting the collect some evidence.

1.31 Poaching,huge elephant bull, Five months old,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Getting any solid evidence such a long time after the incident is tough. Either the villagers remove the meat, or as in this case, cattle and other animals approaching the carcasse also alter the crime-scene. Chad, 2017.

1.22 Poaching,Elephant bones and Samuel, Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Samuel Benou, a local environmental activist in southwestern Chad showing the bones of a huge elephant bull killed during Christmas 2016.

1.34 Poaching,Samuel and local guides and Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Samuel Benou, Arthur F. Sniegon and local guides by the same carcasse.

1.20 Poaching,attempting to find the bullet in the skull,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Breaking the skull in order to find ammo. Chad, 2017

1.21 Poaching,Elephant bones and Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Arthur F. Sniegon in the periodical stream gully, inspecting the death of 4 bush elephants. Chad, 2017.

1.23 Poaching,Elephant eye one week old,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Dead bush elephant in central Chad, 2017. Local authorities arrived to the ground too late to intercept the poachers.

1.24 Poaching,Elephant head 1 week old,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

The elephant head with the trunk remained nearly intact. The rest of the body has been cut and brought away by villagers for consumption.

1.26 Poaching,Elephant head one week old,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

The face of the elephant is usually completelly hacked off, when the poachers are trying to cut the ivory.

1.27 Poaching,Elephant intestines, 1 week old,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Local military and government authorities acted in a slow and unefficient manner to be able to pursue and catch the poachers.

1.35 Poaching,seized ivory,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

At least some small tusks remained on the site because poachers lacked time to remove all of them. Chad, 2017.

1.25 Poaching,Elephant head and bullet hole,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Elephant head (one week old) with a clear bullet entrance (down the line from the axe, the bleeding spot). Local conservationist attemting the get out the bullet for expertise. Chad, 2017.

1.36 Poaching,trying to find the bullet in the head,Arthur,Chad,2017.jpg

Chadian conservationist by removing the tissue and looking for the bullet. Finally it has been successfull. Chad, 2017

Arthur F. Sniegon, June 2018
Founder & Coordinator of @save-elephants
www.save-elephants.org
E-mail: [email protected]
FB: save.elephants.org

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