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June 24, 2005
SPORTSMAN'S QUEST Where can an elephant sit?INCREASED POPULATION A PROBLEM IN AFRICA
The increased elephant population in many parts of Africa has been an international game management success, with populations that at the current rate could top 400,000 by the year 2020 -this for a species that came to near extinction in the 1950s and '60s, because of poaching, civil war, and an illegal Asian ivory trade. Like many species listed as threatened or endangered though, the problems lie with uneven population distribution throughout their ranges. We have seen this with wolves in Canada and Alaska and grizzly and polar bears in the North Country. It is being experienced in the south with coyotes, cougars, and black bears, because of political and human population pressures. Animals certainly need to be protected, but also controlled. The countries of southern Africa are now debating, trying to find a solution to the elephant population explosion in the Republic of South Africa. Several solutions have been proposed. One is culling, which is the killing of excess animals by park rangers, or through the sale of hunting tags, to keep herds and the habitat in a healthy balance. Both of these methods have the added advantage of bringing in additional revenue and providing meat to a protein-starved region. However, animal rights groups do not favor this method; they have considerable resources and political influence. Another solution is to do nothing and allow starvation and disease to control the population. This is a natural solution to a difficult situation, but it is probably not viable in an artificial national park situation. A third solution is to ignore cross-boarder poaching from neighboring countries. This currently occurs unofficially and distributes much needed protein to a wide area. A final proposal would establish an elephant corridor from Kruger Park through the farmlands of South Africa, along the Zimbabwe border to Botswana and the Kalahari Desert. (I think the elephants would prefer the lush park). Imagine the political and jurisdictional problems. Who would be responsible for damage along the way, and what happens when the newly established population outgrows the deserts capacity? This is going to be a tough sell. So where are we? The only logical solution is control by hunters, a traditional, historic and natural control mechanism. Man must eventually accept responsibility for the situation he created. I guess we'll have to one day consider that as a control mechanism for our predators in southern Nevada too. We all like to see coyotes and cougars, but we must also be aware of their effect on Nevada elk, sheep and house cat populations Updates • The Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn has announced that its annual banquet will be Aug. 6 at the Stardust. This is one of my favorites, and they do great all-volunteer projects. Put this one on your calendar. For your reservations call Cindy Alexander at 1-702- 367-8226. • The Kiwanis Club of Pahrump Valley is still selling raffle tickets for an African Safari for two, which will include food, lodging, guide, and two impala trophy fees. The drawing will be held at the annual Kiwanis auction. For more information, contact Marianne Murphy at 751-1084. Recipe of the week One of the problems with having an overpopulation of elephants is what to do with the meat if they are culled or hunted by sportsmen. The native population could certainly use the protein and I understand the taste is delicious. I have the solution with this recipe, which I got from my Uncle Ernie, who you may remember was a renowned gunsmith and inventor of the Winchester shotgun ventilated rib. He was a good cook, too. Elephant Stew 1 elephant; 2 rabbits; 50 pounds of salt; 25 pounds of pepper. Cut elephant into bite-size pieces (this should take about two months); add enough of your favorite brown gravy to cover; cook over low heat on a kerosene stove for about four weeks; this will serve approximately 3,000 people; if more are expected, the two rabbits may be added; however, people usually do not like hares in their stew. By Jeff Young, from Ol' Ern Simon's Cookbook, published by permission. |
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