The war on elephants rages on

Everyday park rangers risk their own lives to save innocent lives at Zakouma National Park in Chad. Elephants have been poached in Africa for thousands of years due to precious ivory. The park has its own "rapid response team" that has gone through intense training to sharpen their combat skills. These park rangers are at war with malicious poachers. The response team, "Mamba" is trained in making arrests and even "judicial procedures". They go through intense training to be prepared to fight any group trying to brutally murder these animals. Who is behind this evil brutality?



Criminal gangs, international trafficking mafias and often terror groups are behind this ruthless killing. Why do these rangers risk their lives everyday for elephants? One team member agrees that it is indeed dangerous, "But we do it because it's our national patrimony..thats why were ready to die". Protecting the elephants is embedded within their culture. Many feel inclined to fight for their deceased fathers from a previous raid. Why is this is so dangerous? The poachers are incredibly intelligent and well equipped. The poachers use netted satellite phones, solar chargers, stamped Sudanese army slips, and 1,500 rounds of ammunition. The ivory business is serious. The poachers will kill anything that gets in their way. Although only 23 Zakouma guards have lost their lives on the job since 1998, the entire situation leads to something much larger than human casualty alone.

50 years ago 50,000 elephants roamed the country. Now it is down to only 450 elephants. 450 elephants who live everyday in grave danger.

What are the implications of this? Does it matter that the elephants are being killed? Not only does this situation increase conflict between people it causes instability and chaos within the conflict zone. This can be seen in the war between rangers and poachers. Killing innocent animals is animal cruelty and is not only unethical but illegal. The elephants are in constant stress thus making it difficult to reproduce. This cruel and unruly killing is a disaster. If it does not stop, the elephants can become extinct.
However there are some benefits to this situation. The national park offers high paying jobs to communities around Zakouma. They can work as guards, rangers and support staff thus making the community as a whole safer. The National Park itself is a saving grace to the elephants and they believe that, "...the animals you see are the legacy for future generations". However the rangers are fully aware that this war to protect their legacy is going to rage on.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/10/africa/chad-elephant-conservation/index.html

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/elephants/african_elephants/afelephants_threats/