Save the Elephants heard that a dead elephant had been found by Kenya Wildlife Service Rangers at Eremet, North of Isiolo on the 10th of April 2009.

Our team, Chris Leadismo and Lucas Lepuyapui drove to the dead elephant, and instantly noticed something very strange indeed! The sexual parts had been mutilated.  The tip of the penis had been sliced off with a sharp object and so had the left nipple.  Tail, trunk and tusks were removed and the rangers found four bullets nearby.   The cuts were straight and must have been made immediately after the animal was freshly shot as blood had spattered below and before it had clotted.

This event baffled us.  Although poachers often remove meat, we have never seen the sexual parts targeted this way.  As we write, the Kenya Wildlife Service is continuing to investigate this bizarre incident.

 ‘I want to check now with other researchers if this happens in other parts of Africa or Asia.  I have seen elephants eaten down to the bones, and I have seen small bits taken off, but I have never seen the sexual parts removed’
says Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton (Founder, Save the Elephants)

We wonder what culture does this.  Does anyone know of this practice anywhere in Africa or Asia, or has seen a similar incident?  We would be grateful to know so we can try and understand the motivation and culture of the perpetrators, and how to stop it happening again.