Shoot Poachers On Sight

2011 was probably the worst year ever for the survival of the African Elephant.  Thousands of them were slaughtered last year by poachers.  Same with the Rhinoceros.

Most of the slaughter is because of the demand in Asia for ornamental elephant tusks and rhino horns, which are used for — [wink] — “medicinal” purposes.  We already have a billion and a half Chinese people strangling the planet.  Some old Chinese dude can’t get it up any more so he has to kill an endangered animal?!?!?  Off with his — uh, I digress…

Anyway, what can African governments possibly do about poachers?

India has the answer.  The Indian state of Maharashtra is now encouraging forest rangers to shoot poachers on sight.  Killing or maiming a poacher is no longer a crime in Maharashtra.  In India, tigers are the main poaching victims.  Out of the remaining 3,200 tigers in the world, half of them are in Indian wildlife preserves.

Again, the main motive for poaching tigers is the Chinese demand for tiger “parts” — again for “medicinal” purposes.  (See above.)

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, wants the U.S. to pressure Thailand and China to crack down on the ivory trade.  He said:

“If China would declare a unilateral 10-year moratorium on ivory imports, there would be a future for elephants in Africa.”

Ditto for rhino horns and tiger “parts.”

Earlier Chinese governments got rid of their opium “problem” by executing ANYONE caught with opium.  So, let’s see, if the Chinese government wanted to crack down on the trade in elephant tusks, rhino horns and tiger “parts,” they could…uhhh…hmmm…I’m thinking…

And it would be fine with me if American poachers were shot on sight.  It could never be officially sanctioned, but unofficially…

About twenty years ago there was an article written by someone who had infiltrated a gang of poachers.  I don’t remember if he was an undercover cop or just a journalist writing about them.  I don’t remember many details from the article, but from everything he wrote, these poachers were the lowliest scumsucking-est trash imaginable.  They made the white trash from Stephen King’s novels look like Ward and June Cleaver.

Get ‘em out of the gene pool.