The elephant newswire nowadays is alive with news of African elephants, whilst the South African authorities search around for answers to their over-population problems and the conclusion that they may have to reconsider culling grabs most of the headlines - a horrible position for them to be in and they have my every sympathy, reading around the subject I get the impression that they are desperately casting around for another way out but find the cull looming ever closer on the horizon.

   But this blog isn't about this subject, many many better informed (since when has that stopped me?) people have written thousands of words on this recent debate.

   I wondered if you had seen the recent article in National Geographic Magazine about elephants in the top of Chad, at almost the other end of the continent (if my Geography is correct) and an amazing looking park with huge herds of elephants, Kalashnikov toting horsemen protecting the eles inside the park and, unfortunately, rebels and ivory hunters waiting for the herds to leave.

   If you have a quick enough internet connection there is an eight minute video on their website which looks as though it will be up there until the end of March - I also stole the photo from their website photo gallery, so be sure and take a look at that.

  

   But please be warned, it is not all sweetness and light in the video or the in the picture gallery, they do tell the full story and there isn't always a happy ending - though the good news is they are out there fighting and there hasn't yet been an ending.

   Personally, I can't see a video like that without wanting to go and see for myself or, better still, go back to the wild places and research projects.  Though, that many kalashnikovs in one small area, pause for thought.