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Were Zimbabwean baby elephants bootlegged to China?

July 10, 2015 By Merritt Clifton

Zimbabwe elephants

Baby elephants awaiting transport. (ZCTF photo)

10th July 2015

The Elephant Story

by Johnny Rodrigues

In January 2014 we heard that Rowan Martin and Hank Jenkins were tasked with going around Zimbabwe to locate some elephants to be exported to China.  They were apparently paid quite well for this and they finally decided on Hwange National Park.

Lions in the boma. (ZCTF photo)

Lions in the boma. (ZCTF photo)

In August 2014 tourists in Hwange National Park started complaining about helicopters flying overhead,  frightening the elephant herds.  When the herds bolted,  the babies left behind were captured and put into a boma in Umtshibi , which is about 15 km from Main Camp in Hwange National Park.  These babies were between two and five years old, still dependent on their mothers for milk.  Dr. Joyce Poole [noted for elephant research at Amboseli National Park,  Kenya] verified the ages of these elephants.

36 elephants captured

In all, 36 elephants were captured,  three of whom died.  One of the dead elephants was eaten by the locals.  Thereafter,  nine escaped and some were recaptured,  leaving 27 in the boma.  Ten lions were also captured and put into a boma in the same area.

We have been trying to stop the export of these elephants with the support of numerous organizations worldwide.  Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe SPCA chapters at Bulawayo and Mutare tried to get into the area to inspect the welfare of the elephants,  but they were not allowed to go in. The whole place was in lockdown.

Elephant transport container. (ZCTF photo)

Elephant transport container. (ZCTF photo)

In April 2015,  cages,  hydraulic equipment,  and forklifts arrived at the bomas.  The cages were painted with red oxide.

Who is Li Song?

In June 2015,  a contingent of Chinese people arrived at the capture unit and the Zimbabweans were thrown out.  A lady named Li Song was apparently there as well.

We heard that Li Song supplied boots to the army,  air force,  and prisons,  and the Zimbabwe government owed her 3,6 million dollars which they could not pay.  They apparently did a barter deal with her,  giving her a piece of land in Mana Pools upon which she illegally chopped down trees and built a 26-room lodge.

In addition,  we believe she was also given the elephants.  Two hundred have been ordered in all.  Li Song is supposed to sell the elephants to the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangdong,  China,  according to the information we have received,   and the money is obviously not coming back to Zimbabwe.  It will pay off the debt that is owed to Li Song.  Twenty-four elephants were loaded and we do not know what has happened to the three who were left behind.

No Independence Day for elephants

Assembled trucks. (ZCTF photo)

Assembled trucks. (ZCTF photo)

On July 4,  2015,  the elephants were loaded into the cages.  This was after several “rehearsals” were done to ensure the loading went smoothly.  Two interlink trucks belonging to Western Transport in Bulawayo arrived to collect the cages.  The owner of Western Transport claims he doesn’t know anything about his trucks picking up the elephants.  They spent most of the day loading and left Hwange at around 6:30pm.  We found it interesting that the export took place on the 4th of July,  which is the American Independence Day.  They drove through the night to Harare International Airport,  with armed police escorts,  and arrived in Harare at about 8:15 the following morning.

There was very tight security around the airport.  The plane the cages were loaded onto was a Chinese jumbo jet belonging to Unitop B747-200,  registration number B2462.  The flight number was UW9968,  direct to Guangzhou,  the capital of Guangdong,  China.  The plane left at between 18:00 and 19:00.  We believe the pilot was an ex-Zimbabwean.

Another view of trucks. (ZCTF photo)

Another view of trucks. (ZCTF photo)

 China doesn’t have a good track record for treating animals properly and these elephants are likely to be subjected to a life of cruelty and inhumane treatment.

We have copies of two permits that were apparently issued for the export of four elephants at the end of 2014 and eight elephants and two crocodiles in January 2015. The permits look fraudulent,  so we are trying to find out if those animals did in fact go to China.

In December 2014 seven elephants were exported to the United Arab Emirates.  These animals were tamed,  but they are still wild animals and therefore still dangerous.  You can’t domesticate an elephant.  You can tame them but you can’t domesticate them.

Email logo––Johnny Rodrigues
Chair,  Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
Landline: 263 4 339065
Mobile: 263 712 603 213
E-mail: galorand@mweb.co.zw
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ZCTF-Zimbabwe-Conservation-Task-Force/246013052094585
Website: www.zctfofficialsite.org

(See also:  http://www.animals24-7.org/2015/01/14/zimbabwe-defends-export-of-elephants/;   http://www.animals24-7.org/2014/12/09/update-re-baby-elephants-captured-for-export-to-china/;   and http://www.animals24-7.org/2014/11/27/baby-elephants-abducted-for-export-to-china/.)

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Filed Under: Africa, Asia/Pacific, China, Culture & Animals, Entertainment, Exhibition, Feature Home Middle Left, Opinion, Opinions & Letters, Sub-Saharan, Wildlife, Zimbabwe, Zoos, Zoos

Comments

  1. Jamaka Petzak says

    July 10, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    Unspeakably sad. LIves, of whatever species, are always bargaining chips in this world that places more value on money and greed than it does on precious living beings. Shared to social media, with shame.

  2. Ruth Steinberger says

    July 11, 2015 at 4:11 am

    Thank you for this detailed article on a horrible situation, the illegal movement of wildlife to China. Is there any way to use public pressure to hold Li Song accountable?

  3. esme blair says

    July 12, 2015 at 7:15 am

    Anyone readinng this will understand that this sickening event is merely the tip of the iceberg. The depths are dangerous and life threatening. Exposure has to be consistent. Do not allow this to be hidden. Ex Zimbawean pilots, 2 x white people named. Transporter did know that his trucks were used…really?.
    Zimbabwe on the top tourist destination list. Yes we have a stunning country that is so rotten, it churns ones stomach.
    CITES and the head JOHN SCANLON put out a directive that is simply an “arse covering excercise”. They are as complicit as is China and Zimbabwe.
    Please, we hope the 3 x baby elephants have been released into the care of elephant experts. Word is that the very same Chinese are back in Hwangwe.
    Is it at all possible for the powerful animal organisations to form a credible world wide watchdog, disband CITES and take over?

    • Merritt Clifton says

      July 12, 2015 at 7:00 pm

      CITES, short for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, is a treaty organization created by the United Nations. No other entity has comparable global authority.

    • Ronald Isaac Orenstein says

      July 13, 2015 at 3:35 pm

      Believe me, as one who has lobbied CITES since the 1980s, disbanding it (whatever its faults or weaknesses) would be a huge gift to illegal wildlife traders (and the current government of Zimbabwe would be overjoyed). You would never get anything anywhere near as strong again agreed to by the international community (CITES was signed back in the early 1970s when the climate for these things was very different from that operating today). In fact it is all we can do to keep what protections we have from being rolled back. Better to work within it, and domestically, to strengthen existing protections. That said, if this story is accurate it is certainly a black mark on all parties involved.

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