In 1995 Kruger National Park in South Africa passed a law banning the culling of elephants. Culling is the calculated, willful slaughter of a percentage of the animal population so as the maintain or provide a measure of perceived balance to the ecosystem involved.
Elephants are lovable animals. Gentle giants. I rode one in Malaysia back in February, and it was pretty cool. I fed them, too. They love eating fruit. I didn’t know that. We placed giant chunks of melon and papaya directly into their mouths and they happily munched away.
Their tongue feels like sandpaper, and their eyes search through you with ageless wisdom as you pat their head.
So I get why Kruger National Park would want to protect them.
Unfortunately, life is rarely so simple and clear-cut, and the elephant situation is no exception.
Since 1995, the elephant population has mushroomed, causing stress on the delicate balance of life within the park. In the first ten years, following the ban on culling, the elephant population exploded from 7,500 to 12,500.
But it wasn’t implemented right, and it didn’t have the effects they were hoping for.
It seems like it might be time to kill some elephants again.
Gehard Verdoorn, a leading South African conservationist based in the financial capital of Johannesburg, remarked: “I don’t think anybody likes the idea of culling elephants. But, it is a definite option to contribute to the management of overpopulation – as long as it’s done with the most humane and ethical methods available to the Kruger National Park.”
“Populations cannot continue to grow indefinitely,” said David Mabunda, chief executive of SANParks.
It’s just the way it is.
Sometimes you have to kill some elephants.
What elephants do you need to kill in your business?
Not because you want to. But because you have to?
Kevin
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How many elephants must you kill?
Posted by Kevin Dubrosky
In 1995 Kruger National Park in South Africa passed a law banning the culling of elephants. Culling is the calculated, willful slaughter of a percentage of the animal population so as the maintain or provide a measure of perceived balance to the ecosystem involved.
Their tongue feels like sandpaper, and their eyes search through you with ageless wisdom as you pat their head.
So I get why Kruger National Park would want to protect them.
Unfortunately, life is rarely so simple and clear-cut, and the elephant situation is no exception.
Since 1995, the elephant population has mushroomed, causing stress on the delicate balance of life within the park. In the first ten years, following the ban on culling, the elephant population exploded from 7,500 to 12,500.
At first, elephant contraception seemed to be the answer.
But it wasn’t implemented right, and it didn’t have the effects they were hoping for.
It seems like it might be time to kill some elephants again.
Gehard Verdoorn, a leading South African conservationist based in the financial capital of Johannesburg, remarked: “I don’t think anybody likes the idea of culling elephants. But, it is a definite option to contribute to the management of overpopulation – as long as it’s done with the most humane and ethical methods available to the Kruger National Park.”
“Populations cannot continue to grow indefinitely,” said David Mabunda, chief executive of SANParks.
It’s just the way it is.
Sometimes you have to kill some elephants.
What elephants do you need to kill in your business?
Not because you want to. But because you have to?
Kevin
P.S. If you know someone that would enjoy reading this little article, please feel free to share it with your friends on facebook, using either of the two links below.
If you liked this post, you’ll probably like these, too: