Kruger National Park is home to 13,000+ elephants, slightly more than Gonarenzhou in Zimbabwe and many more than Gorongosa in Mozambique. The Kruger animals have been protected here for nearly 100 years with varying degrees of success. Different ideas and schemes of managing the elephants have come and gone in that time frame – some decent, some hideous. Today the best science is being brought to bear; it can be hoped that the future will be bright for Kruger’s elephants and that the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is successful in letting the herds have the room they need to roam. Many people are working on this polarizing issue.
At Letaba Camp there is an Elephant Museum, home to the Magnificent Seven. I cannot describe what it was like to wander into that building and stand before a set of tusks that reached far above me and dropped all the way to the floor. The tusks displayed here are so jaw-dropping enormous you can’t believe they are real. Each set of tusks comes with the story of its elephant, and most of the stories are of a long, natural life. Elephants can only live around 60 years before their teeth wear out and they cannot feed, and so they pass away. The lucky ones, anyway. Others meet a different fate.
Killing elephants for their ivory is nothing new. The Arabs and the Orientals have coveted ivory for thousands of years and it is easy to see why. Ivory is more beautiful than gold. Touching it, carving it into trinkets, wearing jewelry made of it – yes, I can understand the obsession. I am obsessed with ivory as well but only worn on the beasts that create it for their own use. In the presence of the Magnificent Seven, marveling at the time-worn smoothness, the damaged areas, the rich colors – I want to drop to my knees and beg that not one more elephant will be killed for its tusks. But the slaughter goes on. The money is too good. Don’t for a moment think that anything redeeming comes from the killing. There is nothing remotely resembling a benefit to society being created with this blood money. Tusks buy guns, and power. Guns kill elephants, and people. End of story.
Now imagine this – what if, every time an elephant is murdered for its tusks, what if all of the pain and horror and desperation and suffering were transferred to the tusks? And what if then every single person who handled the tusks were cursed with those emotions, had to feel them every day? What if the despicable person who ends up owning something from the brutalized animal, what if every time they touched it, or showed it off to their friends, or admired it, what if all they would feel was the horror? Would that it could be true. I borrowed this fantasy from a chapter in Arthur C. Clarke’s story “Childhood’s End.” It is only a fantasy.
The way that you sketched the eye of the bird with the green wings is amazingly wonderful! Maybe you do that sort of thing w all your drawings but this is the first time I’ve noticed.
The mother-and-baby shot of the elephants is CLASSIC and stupendous!
xoxoxo,
c
Powerful.
Unbelievable that humans have come so close to annihilating such a tender, sensitive and majestic creature.
I think it may have been the Asians and not their “oriental” art style that coveted the ivory…😆
sorry……… couldn’t resist.
It reminds me that I recently inherited many pieces of ivory jewelry. I just wrapped them up and tucked them in the back of my drawer. But now I don’t know what to do with them. Yuck!!
Love the hauntingly appropriate fantasy of Arthur C Clarke …… yikes! I think I can feel it!
Safe travels !! LoVe the post cards!!
More please💕✨💫🙋♀️
Seeing these creatures up close ‘n personal has got to be top of the bucket list ~ Good OnYa. i was fortunate to have a couple Elephant hair rings as a little kid ~ kewl little woven Elephant hair ring ~ perhaps they are still available ?
LOVE the bird art. AWESOME!
Now to inject “Frame” sense. Cuz they’re that GOOD… leave ’bout’n inch cushion at the edge.
Rain rain rain, itsrainingagain ~ managed to harvest some Strawberry Rhubarb )))ummm good(((
Mexico is coming up on the calendar mas rapido.
* time to paint *
Lotsa Love,
Will
Killing the elephants makes me want to cry. I get a knot in my stomach every time I hear or see pictures about it…
On a happier note, I love your drawing of the beeeater!
I have been moved to tears by more than one of your blog pages. I kind of wish you would quit doing that but it doesn’t work that way does it? Hard to ignore the stuff that makes you weep. And you present it so well. Arthur C. Clark had the right idea. If only it were so.
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