35 more baby elephants being sent from Zimbabwe to lives of hell in China

Since 2012 about 100 elephant calves have been sold to Chinese zoos and safari parks, some of which offer elephants performing stunts in circus shows. Such deals require permits, under the multilateral Cites treaty that governs the wildlife trade. Network for Animals has documentary evidence showing that in the past, phony documents have been used.

Now another 35 baby elephants are to be sent to Chinese zoos after being forcibly separated from their mothers in the Hwange National Park.

“Network for Animals is appalled by Zimbabwe’s continued export of very young elephants to lives of hell in China,” said David Barritt, NFA’s chief campaigner.

“Many of these babies will still be breast feeding. Scientists say they will never fully recover from the trauma. To make this horror even worse, they are sent to zoos, where they will be held in cages or small areas, totally unsuitable for elephants, for the rest of their lives.”

Barritt said Zimbabwe authorities have previously exported baby elephants using invalid or duplicated CITES permits. “When NFA raised this issue with authorities, they ignored us. What they are doing is morally wrong and in breach of CITES regulations, but they go on doing it anyway.”

At the moment, the elephants, some as young as two, are being held in pens in Hwange while travel crates are prepared for the 7,000-mile journey. Conservationists say calves can be entirely dependent on their mothers for emotional and physical support until they are five; others can still be taking their mother’s milk until they are ten or another sibling is born.

During the rule of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s wildlife was regularly sold to Asia and the Middle East to settle debts. “It was hoped that when the present president Emerson Mnangagwa came to power in a coup, he would stop this practice which shames Zimbabwe,” said Barritt. “Instead, he is continuing on the road of cruelty and callous indifference to animals.”

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Baby elephants torn from mothers, shipped to China

Thirty-five young elephants are to be own from Zimbabwe to zoos in China after being
forcibly separated from their mothers, The Times has learned.

The animals, some as young as two, are being held in pens in Hwange National Park while
travel crates are prepared and documents finalised for the 11,000km journey.

During the Mugabe era, Zimbabwe’s wildlife was regularly sold to Asia and the Middle East to
settle debts.

A source close to the operation described how rangers flew helicopters at family groups to
isolate the young, who were immobilised with tranquilliser darts and loaded on to trucks.

‘‘It can take several attempts to successfully part the young from their mothers, who are extremely protective,’’ he said.

‘‘The helicopter has to y very close in order to create the panic that leaves the young elephants exhausted, disorientated and isolated from the rest of the herd. While the juvenile is
being loaded, the helicopter buzzes around the herd to stop the animals from attempting to
defend their young.’’

A veterinarian from Zimbabwe’s wildlife agency has certified all the young elephants as fit
enough for the long, stressful journey, which will begin in the coming days with a 130km trip
by road to the airport at Victoria Falls and on to cargo planes.

The bankrupt country’s fuel crisis has hampered the operation, and it took months for 

officials from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, known as ZimParks, to

complete the order from China.

A spokesman for ZimParks declined to confirm that elephants had been captured for live export but said: ‘‘We never export baby elephants, only sub-adults of four or five years old.’’

Conservationists say elephant calves can be entirely dependent on their mothers for emotional and physical support until they are five. Others can still be taking their mother’s milk

until they are 10 or another sibling is born.

Hwange National Park was the site of the killing of Cecil the lion in 2015 by an American trophy hunter.

News of the imminent export comes two years after 31 elephant calves were own to China,
creating an international outcry.

Such incidents have tarnished Zimbabwe’s reputation as a tourist destination despite its
many spectacular wildlife attractions. The country is now increasingly reliant on its Chinese
allies, as it is threatened with a return to pariah status amid reports of human rights abuses
during recent protests.

Since 2012, about 100 elephant calves have been sold to Chinese zoos and safari parks, some
of which offer elephants performing stunts in circus shows.

Such deals require permits, under the multilateral Cites treaty that governs the wildlife trade.
But the unknown fate of the 35 elephant calves underlines the lack of oversight over such
deals.

Dan Bucknell, executive director of British elephant charity Tusk, said: ‘‘People imagine that
in this day and age zoos are being restocked from captive breeding or from zoo-to-zoo transfers, not by animals being taken from the wild. Yet this sort of trade is perfectly legal under
Cites.’’

– The Times

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Wild Asian elephants enjoy Spring Festival at Yunnan's Wild Elephant Valley

Wild Asian elephants are celebrating their own Spring Festival at the Wild Elephant Valley.

Spring Festival is not only the most significant holiday in China, it also is the peak time for wild elephants to converge on the valley from Pu'er City and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province.

"The wild elephants like to come to our valley every Spring Festival because the food is abundant and no one disturbs them. Therefore, the number of wild elephants during Spring Festival is higher than normal. We saw 44 elephants on Friday," said Yan Hanlu, head of the observation team of Asian elephants in the valley.

The wild elephants in the valley consist of five herds, all of which include elephant calves. The largest group consists of 17 elephants, and the smallest is a single male elephant.

These wild elephants hang around in the valley, bathing and playing with each other in the river.

"Unlike tigers, the wild elephant will not fight for territory. Once they've had enough to eat and drink, they'll split into groups and walk away. They like to switch places and have interactions with each other," said Yan.

Asian elephants are listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and are under first-class state protection in China.

During the dry season from February to April, when there is less food and water in the mountains, wild elephants head to the valley for food. About 40 to 50 will show up in a day.

Local forestry and other departments have reminded the surrounding residents to help in the protection of wild elephants and to avoid human-elephant conflicts.

(Cover image shows two wild Asian elephants via VCG.)

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