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| Satao II lying dead in Tsavo National Park; his tusks still intact |
In 2014, a gigantic tusker name Satao fell victim to poachers in Africa's on-going poaching epidemic to meet the growing demand for ivory from Asia. This time, another majestic tusker named Satao II was ruthlessly killed by poachers in Kenya's Tsavo National Park. Satao II's death has now left just 25 of these iconic animals remaining in the world, according to Richard Moller of the Tsavo Trust. Out of these, fifteen are in Kenya. Unlike Satao, who used to hide from visitors, Satao II was described as "very approachable" and loved by visitors. Rangers found him during a routine aerial surveillance, and were able to reach him before the poachers could make off with his tusks. Two poachers believed to be responsible for killing Satao II were arrested. However, there are adverse reports about when he died. Although Satao II's death was only reported two days ago, a monthly report from the Tsavo Trust indicated that his carcass was found on January 4th. The incident was uncovered just two days after a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officer was killed during an anti-poaching incident in Tsavo National Park. He was the second to die in less than a month at the hands of poachers.
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| Satao I was killed in 2014; his face was reportedly sawed off by poachers |
The poaching of elephants continues to go unabated, despite China placing ban on its ivory trade. There is still a continuous demand for elephant ivory, along with rhino horns, to feed the appetite of the global criminal empire. What is more shocking is that poaching of these magnificent animals has reached to the extent that they are not even safe in captivity. This was recently the case in Paris when poachers broke into a zoo and killed a four-year-old white rhinoceros for its horn. It goes to show that poachers, in general, are extremely desperate individuals who will stop at nothing to get their hands on endangered species. Therefore, it is highly crucial to revamp security measurements not just in national parks and other protected areas but also in zoos and other similar facilities that house elephants, rhinos, and other endangered species for the purpose of conservation. The threat of poaching of elephants and rhinos is also directly linked to terrorism in which notable terrorist factions like the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Janjaweed, and Al-Shabaab have been responsible for the slaughter of countless numbers of elephants to finance their crimes against humanity. It goes to show that as long as poaching goes unabated, both animal and human lives will continue to be lost.
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