Murder at the Irish Manor House

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi

I’m home after a wonderful reunion with my online writing group in Ireland. On May 31st I had the honour to speak at the Tudor Artisan Hub’s seminar Creative Activism Connections on The Wisdom of Elephants: Let your passion and your creativity fuel your activism.

Photo credit Lisa Orlick

Two experiences reminded me that the fight for the protection of elephants and the health of our planet is ongoing. One reflected past trauma, the other foreshadowed more horror in the near future.

# 1 (written as a short video script)

Opening Scene: A sunny day in the bucolic Irish countryside. (Sounds of birds in background). Camera pans across the façade of an 18^th century Irish Manor house.

Camera moves up the steps to the front door and enters the foyer. Pan foyer to the door to the parlor. Enter parlor (Irish waltz music).

An antique grand piano takes up pride of place, at the far end of the room. A masterpiece of craftmanship, every square inch considered and designed to augment the value and beauty of the musical instrument.

Pan details of piano: (19^th century piano melody) the fine veneer of curly walnut, lines of exquisite marquetry inlaid along edges. Carved leaves coloured with gold and tiny ivory dots trace the perimeter of the lid.

The wooden fallboard covering the keys is slowly lifted (abrupt shift in music – imagine Psycho) revealing fifty-two keys, perfectly fitted slices of ivory punctuated by 36 black keys in regular intervals.

Scene shifts to elephants on the African savanna (joyful African music)

Peaceful scene: mother with calf suckling.

Suddenly shots ring out. (gunshots) Mother falls. Elephants scream and stampede. (frantic trumpeting, sound of elephants running)

(silence) The calf is left alone, bewildered and frightened huddled beside the dead body of its mother.

Photo credit David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Two men scramble out from bush (tension music). One carries a gun, the other a saw. They waste no time, hack off the tusks, stuff them in a bag, hop on a motor scooter and race off into the distance. Scene closes with calf pressed up against the bloodied body of its mother.

Ascending ariel view of calf alone on the savanna.

Message across the screen.

The only one who needs ivory is an elephant

Ban the import of ivory

Thousands of elephants died to decorate piano keys. Fortunately, piano keys are no longer clad in ivory; however, twenty thousand elephants are still illegally killed a year so their tusks can be fashioned into trinkets. TRINKETS.

#2 Over the past 40 years ivory poaching has led to a 70% decline in African elephants. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned global commercial trade in ivory in 1989 in response to the catastrophic drop in elephant populations.

I was shocked to learn via email that Japan and South Africa are lobbying to overturn the global ivory trading ban and reopen the market for elephant ivory to support their domestic markets and conservation funding strategies. They believe regulated trade can be sustainable. This position is highly contested due to concerns that reopening the ivory trade will stimulate demand, fuel the black market, complicate enforcement and increase poaching risks for vulnerable elephant populations across Africa.

Instead of enabling legal trade in ivory, efforts should be focused on protecting endangered elephant populations, addressing habitat loss and human wildlife conflict. Sustainable solutions are good for local economies and the climate. See previous posts for some examples: Worth More Alive than Dead, Listen to the Children, A Win for Conservation.

Japan and South Africa will take their plan to the next endangered species convention (CITES COP20) held in Uzbekistan in November 2025. You can help raise awareness about this dangerous plan.

Sign this petition to maintain the ban on global ivory trading.

Say NO to ivory trade.

Sign this petition to maintain the ban on global ivory trading.

When we take care of nature, nature takes care of us.