Legally Killing a Few Elephants
Saves Hundreds of Elephants:
It Is Not a Contradiction
Although it may appear that letting safari hunters kill elephants so poachers will not kill them is contradictory, people across the globe accept that it is normal to kill some animals so that others may live. Consider the Humane Society. According to the front page of its website, “About 2.4 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs – one every 13 seconds – are put down in USA shelters each year” (“Pet”). Even an organization that dedicates itself to saving animals – that calls itself “humane” kills millions of animals each year.
American federal, state and city governments use the same policy of killing some animals so others may live. Consider the government-sponsored Python Challenge in Florida, the bison kills in Yellowstone, the whitetail deer kills in Ann Arbor and the feral hog kills in Texas. These are all planned kills in the name of keeping a balance.
In case you are still unsure about the idea of killing some animals so that others may live, consider the last time you were in a car. Did you know that the tires on that car were made in part from a once-living cow?
Here are some other products that contain cow parts: violin string, soap, sandpaper, surgical stitches, wallpaper, china, chewing gum, glue, insulation, industrial lubricants, lipstick, ointments, face cream, hand cream, combs, buttons, toothbrushes, plaster, paintbrushes, pesticides, explosives, detergents, asphalt, felt, footballs, fertilizer, floatation devices and firecrackers (Dunk).
And here are some reasons we raise and kill pigs: shoes, shampoo, paper, paint, paint brushes, train brakes, tambourines, dog treats, moisturizers, candles, cork, crayons, cigarettes, photographic film, fabric softener, facial masks, wine and toothpaste (Dunk).
We even raise and kill beavers to make vanilla-flavored perfume (Sterbenz).
Amazingly, people rarely consider how many millions of animals we raise each year just so we can kill them. Instead we accept that animals must die so we can have the lifestyles we want.
Ultimately, some animals die so others can live. Nowhere is this more normal than in the deep bush of Tanzania. When a zebra dies, the vultures eat its meat and the hyenas eat its bones. When an elephant knocks down a tree, the dead tree decomposes, making way for new grass to grow. In the Maasai culture, each generation moves on so the next generation may take over. In Tanzania, it is easy to accept that some elephants will die so others can live.
Saves Hundreds of Elephants:
It Is Not a Contradiction
Although it may appear that letting safari hunters kill elephants so poachers will not kill them is contradictory, people across the globe accept that it is normal to kill some animals so that others may live. Consider the Humane Society. According to the front page of its website, “About 2.4 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs – one every 13 seconds – are put down in USA shelters each year” (“Pet”). Even an organization that dedicates itself to saving animals – that calls itself “humane” kills millions of animals each year.
American federal, state and city governments use the same policy of killing some animals so others may live. Consider the government-sponsored Python Challenge in Florida, the bison kills in Yellowstone, the whitetail deer kills in Ann Arbor and the feral hog kills in Texas. These are all planned kills in the name of keeping a balance.
In case you are still unsure about the idea of killing some animals so that others may live, consider the last time you were in a car. Did you know that the tires on that car were made in part from a once-living cow?
Here are some other products that contain cow parts: violin string, soap, sandpaper, surgical stitches, wallpaper, china, chewing gum, glue, insulation, industrial lubricants, lipstick, ointments, face cream, hand cream, combs, buttons, toothbrushes, plaster, paintbrushes, pesticides, explosives, detergents, asphalt, felt, footballs, fertilizer, floatation devices and firecrackers (Dunk).
And here are some reasons we raise and kill pigs: shoes, shampoo, paper, paint, paint brushes, train brakes, tambourines, dog treats, moisturizers, candles, cork, crayons, cigarettes, photographic film, fabric softener, facial masks, wine and toothpaste (Dunk).
We even raise and kill beavers to make vanilla-flavored perfume (Sterbenz).
Amazingly, people rarely consider how many millions of animals we raise each year just so we can kill them. Instead we accept that animals must die so we can have the lifestyles we want.
Ultimately, some animals die so others can live. Nowhere is this more normal than in the deep bush of Tanzania. When a zebra dies, the vultures eat its meat and the hyenas eat its bones. When an elephant knocks down a tree, the dead tree decomposes, making way for new grass to grow. In the Maasai culture, each generation moves on so the next generation may take over. In Tanzania, it is easy to accept that some elephants will die so others can live.
