Satao (elephant)

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Satao (* c. 1968 ; † May 30, 2014 ) was one of the largest African elephants in Kenya . He was a famous Tusker ( Tusk carrier ) because its tusks were so long that they nearly touched the ground. The Tsavo Trust announced that Satao was killed by poachers on May 30, 2014 with a poisoned arrow.

Life

Satao lived in Tsavo East National Park , one of the largest wildlife parks in the world with a large elephant population. It is estimated that he was born in the late 1960s, around 45 years old when he was killed by poachers for his ivory in 2014 . At that time he was considered one of the largest elephants in the world. Its tusks were 2 m (6.5 ft) long and it is estimated that each tooth individually weighed about 45 kg (100 lb).

Elephants at a waterhole in Tsavo East National Park .

poaching

The illegal ivory trade has doubled since 2007. In 2013, an estimated 20,000 elephants were slaughtered by poachers. Part of the money is used to finance uprisings in Africa.

Due to the great value of his ivory, Satao had been under almost constant observation by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Tsavo Trust , as early as 18 months before June 2014. He usually stayed in a narrow area in the park, but then he moved further into a region of the park with a size of 1000 km² and dense vegetation, in which a lot of poaching was carried out.

death

In March 2014, Satao was found with two bleeding wounds in his flanks. He had been shot with poisoned arrows, as confirmed by the vets who had been called. After several days, Satao recovered from his wounds. Satao was last seen alive on May 19, 2014.

On June 2, 2014, Richard Moller of the Tsavo Trust found an elephant carcass near the park boundary. The tusks had been cut off and the face horribly torn so that the animal could not be identified with certainty at the time. Moller and the Kenya Wildlife Service searched for Satao for about 10 days before concluding it was the dead elephant. He was killed by another poisoned arrow on May 30, 2014.

On June 13, the Tsavo Trust published a death notice:

It is with great regret that we confirm that there is no doubt that Satao is dead, killed by a poisoned arrow from an ivory poacher to meet the seemingly insatiable demand for ivory in distant lands. A great life is lost so that someone could put a piece of jewelry on their mantelpiece somewhere. Rest in peace old friend you will be missed.

Arrests

On June 20, 2014, the Kenya Wildlife Service reported that three suspects had been arrested. Paul Muya , a spokesman for Kenya Wildlife Service , said the rangers used spy equipment to track down the suspects.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Christine Dell'Amore: One of Kenya's most adored elephants, who had giant tusks and was known as Satao, has been killed for his ivory — a "monumental" loss, experts say. In: National Geographic , June 16, 2014.
  2. ↑ a b c Eyder Peralta: One of Kenya's Legendary 'Tuskers' Is Killed By Poachers In: NPR June 14, 2014.
  3. ↑ a b c d Paula Kahumbu: Kenya's biggest elephant killed by poachers. The Guardian 2014.
  4. ↑ a b c Zoe Flood: Poachers kill one of the world's largest elephants in Kenya. The Daily Telegraph June 14, 2014.
  5. ^ A b c Christian Bryant: Popular elephant named Satao killed in Kenyan park. In: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , June 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ a b c Kenya's iconic elephant Satao is dead in Tsavo. Kenya Television Network June 15, 2014
  7. ↑ a b Faith Karimi: Poachers kill beloved Kenyan elephant known for giant tusks. CNN June 15, 2014
  8. ↑ a b c AFP and Network Writers: Kenya's famous bull elephant Satao slain in Tsavo by poachers with poison arrows. In: The Australian June 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ Heather Saul: Satao, Kenya's 'iconic' elephant, is killed by poachers. In: Times of India , June 14, 2014.
  10. ↑ a b Eric Zerkel: Satao, One of the World's Largest African Elephants, Poisoned to Death, Mutilated in Tsavo, Kenya. In: The Weather Channel June 16, 2014.
  11. ↑ It is with enormous regret that we confirm there is no doubt that Satao is dead, killed by an ivory poacher's poisoned arrow to feed the seemingly insatiable demand for ivory in far off countries. A great life lost so that someone far away can have a drink on their mantlepiece. Rest in peace, old friend, you will be missed.
  12. ↑ Ralpael MWadime: Satao Suspected killers arrested. In: The Star (Kenya) June 21, 2014.

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