Chimp & See Talk

Injured trunks: Back issues?

  • TheCalmScribe by TheCalmScribe

    This elephant appears to be the same as one I have seen before, with a sliced open trunk. In this video, the back is also seen, is this more damage or is it just mud? It looks as though it is in distress and has been through a rough go of things.

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  • AnLand by AnLand moderator

    Yes, this should be Gabela. Thanks for finding this elephant again!

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  • NuriaM by NuriaM scientist, moderator

    no, sorry, this is not Gabela. Gabela is a big male, with long tusks and a big hole in his left ear. This one looks like a female, smaller, shorter tusks and no hole in left ear.

    Gabela ( ACP000cr3d ):

    enter image description here

    ACP000czzn

    enter image description here

    What she has on her back is just mud 😃

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  • NuriaM by NuriaM scientist, moderator

    We have another female in Green Snowflake with an injured trunk here: ACP000cuxi :

    enter image description here

    ...but the cracks on her left ear are not so deep like the cracks of the female in ACP000czzn. Also, her tusks are longer. That means that we already have three eles. in Green Snowflake with injured trunks 😦

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  • AnLand by AnLand moderator

    Oh no! Three of them. 😦

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  • Boleyn by Boleyn moderator

    poor gals! 😦

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  • TheCalmScribe by TheCalmScribe

    What is causing the injuries, panther or other cat? Or is there another mechanism of injury?

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  • AnLand by AnLand moderator

    You mean the trunk injuries? These are likely (very likely!) caused by snares. See below a picture of such a set snare. The snares can be wire or nylon and cut deep into the trunk when the elephant (or for chimps the limbs, in the injuries we've seen) tries to get away from it. The bigger species like apes and elephants are of course not trapped by the snare, but that makes the injuries even more severe as the snares tighten when a panicked animals pulls on it.

    enter image description here

    (photo by K. Langergraber)

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  • TheCalmScribe by TheCalmScribe

    The more I see of the wild kingdom, the less I understand the motives and actions of humans. I feared this was the case, but hoped I was wrong. 😦

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  • MimiA by MimiA scientist, moderator

    @TheCalmScribe - the villages around many protected areas are very poor and people tend to not have a lot of options for how to make money and support themselves or their families. Placing snares and catching wildlife may mean the difference between feeding their family and not. Not to say it is OK tat all, but to understand that the motivation is not greed or maliciousness but rather people hoping to make their lives better just like everyone else.

    There is a lot of great work being done in the direction of alleviating poverty, addressing the local drivers of snaring and saving wildlife, here's a bit to start 😃

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