May 29, 2003

INDONESIAN forest rangers are trying to protect timber with tusks.

They have trained a band of elephants to charge at illegal loggers responsible for much of the country's rampant deforestation, a newspaper said today.

The 28 elephants recruited by the Nature Conservation Agency of North Bengkulu on the island of Sumatra have been trained to charge when they hear the sound of the loggers' chain saws, the Jakarta Post reported.

"Most of the time, illegal loggers run away when they see an elephant coming straight at them," the paper said, paraphrasing comments by agency head Agus Priambidu.

The paper said the trial program started last year and has yielded good results, with illegal logging activities declining.

Environmental activists in Indonesia, one of the world's largest tropical timber suppliers, say around 70 per cent of Indonesian timber sold is illegally felled. The Government estimates this costs the industry about $US600 million ($923 million) a year.

The Associated Press

Hurray for the elephants!!
(now that's what I call tree huggin'!)

I'm not sure I agree with having elephants charging at villains with chainsaws... they might start using them on the poor elephants and turn their attention to the illegal ivory trade...

Why don't they employ 10 good snipers and arm them with tranquillizer guns so they can shoot the buggers and prosecute them...?

QUOTE (Loonboy @ Jun 5 2003, 12:30 AM)

I'm not sure I agree with having elephants charging at villains with chainsaws... they might start using them on the poor elephants and turn their attention to the illegal ivory trade... Why don't they employ 10 good snipers and arm them with tranquillizer guns so they can shoot the buggers and prosecute them...?

QUOTE

Why don't they employ 10 good snipers and arm them with tranquillizer guns so they can shoot the buggers and prosecute them...?

Maybe snippers might turn to the Ivory trade too LB

That would be a real downer for those elephants, wouldn't it? lol

Grrrrrrrrr........... I really have to get this quote thing sorted out

I don't see why people are constantly putting animals in danger in doing something that we are completely capable of doing ourselves. ~~Heather

As much as I don't want to see the elephants in harms way, I would enjoy watching them trample these kinds of people.

Elephants are cool