Not only was Satao the elephant killed recently a completely unique animal and seemed to have been the only living creature in the world with such long tusks, but he is also believed to be one of the largest living elephants in the world.
Apart from the photos, there is also a video from the scene where the poachers left Satao the elephant killed. It reportedly showed a wildlife worker tearing up while standing over the elephant's corpse. According to Tsavo Trust, they were able to recognize Satao due to the patterns on his ears, as well as the mud caked on what was left of his forehead.
In an interview by the Daily Telegraph, Dr. Paula Kahumbu, responsible for leading the Hands Off Our Elephants campaign said, "Elephant poaching in Kenya is at least 10 times the official figures." According to the newspaper, the street value for ivory now exceeds gold. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora also reported last week that across Africa, at least 20,000 elephants were killed in 2013.
The place where Satao the elephant killed was reportedly amongst a region which "is a massive and hostile expanse for any single anti-poaching unit to cover." The agency reports that the area is roughly 386 square miles. They said, "The communities living just beyond the National Park boundary persistently carry out illegal activities inside the Park in this area. Understaffed and with inadequate resources given the scale of the challenge, KWS ground units have a massive uphill struggle to protect wildlife in this area."
It's not only wildlife warriors who know of the risks of the animals, but even elephants know that they are at risk. According to NPR, a filmmaker traveling to Kenya earlier in the year found Satao attempting to hide his tusks while walking. The filmmaker said he often hid his head into bushes. Mark Deeble wrote, "At once, I was incredibly impressed, and incredibly sad-- impressed that he should have the understanding that his tusks could put him in danger, but so sad at what that meant."
Satao the elephant killed had wildlife lovers expressing rage and anguish on social media:
Hope for a slow death to all poachers. #Satao pic.twitter.com/qYHZ41BMcZ
— Aly Sheta (@a_sheta9) June 15, 2014
To those who wish to help the organization can donate to the Tsavo Trust here. Meanwhile, for those who want to support Wildlife Direct's Hands Off Our Elephants, you can click here.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
