President Trump’s proposed reversal of the ban on importation of elephant hunt trophies from some African countries (the reversal is thankfully on hold for the moment) has focused world attention on the continued killing of these majestic creatures for “sport” and profit.
The remaining elephants on our planet are threatened with annihilation, both by authorised hunts and unscrupulous poachers.
Apart from the sad loss to our planet, the disappearance of this jungle leviathan would represent, we should spare a thought too for the many wildlife rangers who have been murdered by poachers.
Driven by the enduring appeal and value of ivory products, the poachers will go to any lengths to gun down the handful of elephants that still walk the Earth.
I hope that Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister) will make known his views on the proposed scrapping of the ivory import ban to his American counterpart, assuming of course that he supports the protection of elephants.
Our own record on treatment of wildlife in the Irish Republic is far from laudable. Foxes are hounded to exhaustion or death for fun. If they seek refuge underground they are dug out and tossed to the hounds.
Our wildlife rangers don’t have to risk their lives protecting any creature as large as a rhino or an elephant in our verdant countryside.
But they do attend coursing events and their reports routinely refer to hares being mauled and tossed into the air by muzzled greyhounds.
And they do their best to combat illegal badger baiting, organised by criminal gangs, in which shy nocturnal creatures are pitted against half starved pit bulls for human amusement.
Can we not see wildlife, whether a mighty elephant or tiger, a humble hare or fox, or a tweeting songbird, as a resource to be treasured instead of a target to be torn, blown or hacked asunder?
Maybe some day we humans will learn to respect the wonderful creatures with which we share this ailing and ravaged planet and realise that when we torment or kill them for our personal edification, we are killing part of ourselves.