Poaching of elephants for ivory – tragedies on the ground – photo gallery

Remainings of a bush elephant bull in southern Chad, 2017. At least 5 elephants have been killed during a single poaching event. Arthur F. Sniegon inspecting the site.

Skulls and big bones of bush elephants in western Chad, 2013. Nearly 90 elephants have been killed during one day. Meat has been afterwards removed by local villagers.

Nowadays however, the firearms represent in Central Africa the vast majority of the poached elephants.

Villagers taking advantage of the meat for free made any investigation on the ground impossible. Chad 2013.

During the poaching massacre, also small elephants have been killed. Numerous pregnant females as well...

Dried elephant meat for sale several kilometres away from the poaching site. Chad, 2013

Ninety dead elephants represented nearly 10 % of the total elephant population in the whole Chad. Probably the Sudanese militias Janjaweed were responsible for this tragedy. Arthur F. Sniegon inspecting the site.

Elephant bull skeleton in the bush of central Chad, 2013.

Remainings of the elephant family unit in central Chad, 2013. Note that the tusks have not been hacked off as usual. The poachers simply waited several days and returned to collect the loosened tusks more easily without any efforts later.

Bush elephant carcasse nearly 5 months old, lying during the dry season in Central Chad. Only slowly being decomposed by termites. Arthur F. Sniegon inspecting the site.

The same elephant body from another angle. Chad, 2017

Five months old elephant carcasse in central Chad, 2017. The elephant has been shot dead just 1 km from a department capital, the noise attracted armed forces before the poachers were able to remove the ivory. Poachers however escaped.

Young elephant shot dead in central Chad, 2017

Old elephant bull just few hundred metres away from the above carcasse. Arthur F. Sniegon attempting the collect some evidence.

Getting any solid evidence such a long time after the incident is tough. Either the villagers remove the meat, or as in this case, cattle and other animals approaching the carcasse also alter the crime-scene. Chad, 2017.

Samuel Benou, a local environmental activist in southwestern Chad showing the bones of a huge elephant bull killed during Christmas 2016.

Samuel Benou, Arthur F. Sniegon and local guides by the same carcasse.

Breaking the skull in order to find ammo. Chad, 2017

Arthur F. Sniegon in the periodical stream gully, inspecting the death of 4 bush elephants. Chad, 2017.

Dead bush elephant in central Chad, 2017. Local authorities arrived to the ground too late to intercept the poachers.

The elephant head with the trunk remained nearly intact. The rest of the body has been cut and brought away by villagers for consumption.

The face of the elephant is usually completelly hacked off, when the poachers are trying to cut the ivory.

Local military and government authorities acted in a slow and unefficient manner to be able to pursue and catch the poachers.

At least some small tusks remained on the site because poachers lacked time to remove all of them. Chad, 2017.

Elephant head (one week old) with a clear bullet entrance (down the line from the axe, the bleeding spot). Local conservationist attemting the get out the bullet for expertise. Chad, 2017.

Chadian conservationist by removing the tissue and looking for the bullet. Finally it has been successfull. Chad, 2017

Arthur F. Sniegon, June 2018
Founder & Coordinator of @save-elephants
www.save-elephants.org
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