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SAHUINT - Many many years ago people and elephants did live peacefully in the same habitat. Those days elephants had to migrate between natural water recourses. Drought took care that the population did not grow to big. During this migrations plenty of the elephant died, due to the lack of water and only the fittest survived.

Mankind changed this by building dams and watering places all over Africa, all of a sudden elephant did not have to take the long migrating routes and the population kept on growing, which caused an imbalance between animals and human's. Also the native population started increasing due to better medical care, better food supply and lack of birth control.

Lots of natural habitat was destroyed to make way for cultivated lands and the locals stopped bringing their cattle into kraal's at night, causing conflict between livestock owners and predetors.

It is a very complex situation in Africa to conserve wildlife. If the locals do not get a spinoff from the wildlife, they will keep on killing wildlife to protect their possesions and the wildlife will keep on taking what is the easiest for them to feed on.

The fact of the matter is that once mankind started changing the nature of nature, they must keep on managing it. This is where hunting plays a major role. The hunted animals can provide protien to the locals as well as money. The problem with the money is that it usually ends up in the pockets of corrupt officials.

In the end conservation will only suceed if hunting are allowed in the whole of Africa. Ecco tourism just cannot generate the income hunting can generate and it provides no food. Eco tourism also causes much more damage to the enviroment than a hunting party does.

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That is how I understood the situation as well. Well put.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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