It has been a bloody week for elephants in the news. Yesterday, we discussed how NBC has aired a program showing a NRA lobbyist shooting an elephant in the face for ratings while in Cameroon serial elephant poachers are facing just three years for killing more than 100 elephants. Over in Zimbabwe, three poachers have been sentenced to roughly 15 years in prison for killing another 81 elephants by poisoning their water holes. This sentence is more substantial and welcomed, though it is hard to imagine what you would have to do against the environment to merit a life sentence.
Diyane Tshuma, 25, Robert Maphosa, 42, and Thabani Zondo, 24, were sentenced to 16 years, 15 years, and 15 years respectively for their heinous crimes. They used cyanide to poison watering holes at in Hwange National Park in the west of Zimbabwe. They then cut off the tusks and sold them on the Asian market.
They killed not just elephants with this technique but lions and buffalos using the water holes. It is hard to imagine a more despicable and merciless crime than poisoning water holes to kill dozens of elephants. Yet, environmentalists are fortunate to see a 15 years sentence as the Cameroon cases demonstrate.
Laserhass: “Gene H; I wouldn’t be surprised if your remark was more profound, than one thinks!”
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Right, you just know they’ve got one of those laser-nets around our whole corner of space; to keep us in and warn off lost travelers that may be inclined to stop and seek aid….
The really bad thing is wasting the meat to get the ivory, similar to cutting off shark fins & throwing the shark back in the sea to die.
15 years is not light, but probably deserving. What would you have to do against the environment to get life? How about Netanyahu’s involvement in 3/11, the Japanese earthquake & tsunami, though he should be executed, along with those in the know who set off that nuke.
Gene H;
I wouldn’t be surprised if your remark was more profound, than one thinks!
And just think, David Simon was ashamed only of being an American!
Human kind – is not very kind…..
Oh, and don’t buy any ivory in your lifetime.
Poison poachers and their families. Women and children first, in front of poaching daddy as he awaits his poison.
Forget about any jail sentences — how about a glass of water?
I think a life sentence would have been more appropriate since they wantonly killed 81 elephants! Wow.
Cops murdered a 95 year old man in a nursing home with a lethal weapon which they call a taser and a shotgun blast to the stomach when he refused medical treatment. No names of the perps released. Scant news coverage. Chicago. No grand jury. No federal investigation. No name, no blame. The victim was a WWII veteran living in a nursing home.
Lessons: 1. Do not live in Chi town; 2. Do not live in a nursing home anywhere; 3. Bear arms; 4. Tell your friends in Chi town to get a decent newspaper and to move out for their own safety; 5. Worry about the elephants after dealing with 1 -4.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” -Mahatma Gandhi
The same goes for civilizations on planets in solar systems.
Tough week for elephants.
This sentence is more substantial and welcomed, though it is hard to imagine what you would have to do against the environment to merit a life sentence.
Even though these poachers deserve a harsh sentence -for using cyanide, endangering not only the wildlife but also human beings-, life inprisonment is pretty much excessive.
Randian Capitalism, He/She with the most water wins. Our capitalists simply remove the water from the commons.
Holes should be dug… large enough to throw these freakin disgusting Humans into the bottom, and then to have the Elephants bodies thrown in on top of the reakin humans……… WHILE the Humans are still alive!!!!
I’m against the death penalty in most cases except for DC puppets & Wallst banking/Insurance Trash.
But on this poacher stuff I’ve a clear enough head to look at the facts & rule as needed.
Good stuff professor Turley, stay on target!!!
Revolting.
I agree they got off lightly though it was good to see them caught and convicted anyway.
They should be handcuffed, wrapped in meat suits, and then left in the middle of the Serengeti.
An even more craven and venal way to kill animals.
Indiscriminately.
Excellent.
You know, it’s things like this that make the aliens keep our star system under quarantine.