We rescue the elephants from 'our' drought and ignore the people

Elephants may be rescued from drought, but
people left to fend for themselves - confusing?

Eighteen elephants, due to be culled because the Swaziland in southern Africa has left a national park in Swaziland without food, could be flown to zoos in the US. It is hoped that moving them will give endangered rhinos more chance of survival.

The three male and 15 female elephants from parched Hlane national park are being held temporarily by a local conservation group pending a court case brought by US animal welfare groups concerned about their export.

But they are planned to be air-lifted out in a “jumbo jet” operation as soon as possible, says Sedgwick county zoo in Wichita, Kansas, one of three US zoos which have been given permission by the US Fish and Wildlife service to import them.

Read The Guardian story - “18 elephants to be flown to US zoos as drought puts pressure on Swaziland wildlife.”

(I’m confused. Human-induced climate change has produced an intense drought in Swaziland leaving many of the wildlife, including elephants, struggling to find food. Suddenly, efforts are afoot that may result in some 18 elephants being flown to America and housed in zoos there. Not a mention about the thousands of people who are suffering a similar fate.

Troubles which have plagued Syria for years now gripped the country when food became rare and expensive after crops failed because of a drought of never seen before proportions that swept the nation dragging it into civil unrest, resulting in social disruption.

Those disruptions became civil war that saw the rise of militant groups and sucked in several nations from around the world, including Australia, with the upshot being that thousands upon thousands of people fled from the country seeking refuge.

Forced to make the journey the best way they could and not having the benefit of a chartered flight such as that planned for the Swaziland elephants, many of those seeking refuge died.

As I said: I’m confused, we have caused what is happening in Swaziland and we save the animals and ignore the people; we have caused what is happening in Syria and save what? and pretty much leave the people to fall back on personal resources, which are near nil – Robert McLean.)