IWMC  World Conservation Trust

Florida, 23 December 2005
Letter to Editor St. Petersburg Times, Florida

Re: Elephant Calf christened at Lowry Park Zoo, Thursday, December 22, 2005

The Editorial Board and the writers seem to have difficulties in understanding the issues related to the African elephant.

Three recent articles published in the St. Petersburg Times bring evidence of a lack of knowledge of the situation. First, you recently published a map of Africa showing "the elephant habitat in sub-Saharan Africa", which does not describe adequately the current habitat of the African elephant. Then, in your edition of 12/13/2005, you produced an editorial entitled "Birth control for elephants", which seems to support birth control as "a means to save elephants for future generations to enjoy". (I sent a Letter to Editor on this subject correcting the several factual errors. The letter remained unpublished so far). Finally, in the article referenced above the writer, Alexandra Zayas, states that "the breeding of African elephants in captivity gives the endangered species hope for survival". Neither the classification of endangerment nor the effect of captive breeding are properly assessed.

If the African elephant is an endangered species and if breeding in captivity could help the survival of the African elephants why then should you support contraceptive mechanism to limit natural breeding?

I believe your readers are entitled to a clear understanding of the situation respecting the African elephant.

Best regards,

Eugene Lapointe
IWMC President
Former Secretary General of CITES (1982-1990)
Accredited Observer to the International Whaling Commission

Promoting the Sustainable Use of Wild Resources
- Whether Terrestrial or Aquatic
- as a Conservation Mechanism