Football fan fights elephant cull

By Steven McKenzie
Highlands and Islands reporter, BBC Scotland news website

The South African government halted the killing of elephants in 1995

A Scotland football fan is among campaigners fighting the lifting of a ban on the cull of elephants by World Cup host South Africa.

Les Ward, of Marchig Animal Welfare Trust, said the tournament could become a platform for groups calling for the moratorium to be reinstated.

Charity Born Free said South Africa would be under increased international scrutiny in the countdown to 2010.

The South African government said its elephant population has to be managed.

Scotland is among the countries trying to qualify for the tournament.

The national team recently got its campaign back on track with a 2-1 win over Iceland following defeat in Macedonia.

Culling may only be undertaken in terms of a culling plan prepared by a responsible person and as a last resort after all other management options have been exhausted South African government

Mr Ward, an ardent Scotland fan and former director of Edinburgh-based Advocates for Animals, believed the Africans would delay culling animals until after the World Cup to avoid a backlash.

The lifting of the ban on culling and introduction of the National Norms and Standards for Management of Elephants in South Africa happened in May.

Mr Ward, of Carnwath, Lanark, said: "I was absolutely disgusted. It won't be a cull but a slaughter.

"Because of the close-knit family structures you can't take out one animal because of the cruelty and suffering that follows the death of a mother, calf, or bull. Whole herds will have to go."

He said other measures could be used to manage the population, such as contraception of females and moving animals to other locations.

Mr Ward added: "South Africa has so much to offer. It is a fantastic country which is really good for people to visit and has wildlife you can only dream off. The country is squandering such a huge asset."

The Born Free Foundation said it was "fundamentally opposed" to the culling of elephants.

A spokeswoman said: "We are unaware of any elephants having been culled so far.

"However, there is a significant lack of transparency in the decision-making process as required by the current regulations.

"The authorities are not required to give details of when and where elephants will be culled."

Scotland players celebrate during their win against Iceland

The foundation said South Africa would be under increased international scrutiny in the run up to 2010, but could only speculate on the impact it will have on decisions to cull.

The spokeswoman added: "Organisations such as Born Free will ensure that if the irresponsible decision to cull is made, it will receive widespread international attention whatever the timing, whether it be before, during or after the World Cup."

The South African government halted the killing of elephants in 1995 but since then numbers have more than doubled.

It authorised the cull as a last resort and that culling will only be acceptable under strict conditions.

South African Government Communication and Information System told the BBC Scotland news website: "There is no deliberate plan not to cull elephants before the World Cup.

"The Norms and Standards for the Management of elephants in South Africa allow for a number of options which may be used for controlling the elephant populations.

"These management options include contraception, translocation, range manipulation and culling.

"Culling may only be undertaken in terms of a culling plan prepared by a responsible person and as a last resort after all other management options have been exhausted."