Template:Did you know nominations/Elephant hunting in Chad, Protected areas of Chad

Elephant hunting in Chad, Protected areas of Chad

 * ... that elephant hunting in Chad often includes herd massacres in and around its parks ?
 * Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Fäbodristning

Created/expanded by Dr. Blofeld (talk), Nvvchar (talk), Rosiestep (talk). Nominated by Rosiestep (talk) at 03:03, 20 October 2013 (UTC).


 * Symbol confirmed.svg Two wonderful and vital articles, length, date, and references sufficient. Free of paraphrasing and other unmentionables. Gareth E Kegg (talk) 20:19, 24 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Symbol possible vote.svg Protectedplanet.net, which is used extensively as a source for the parks article, gets much of its information from Wikipedia. The article is also in serious need of copy-editing, particularly in the "Administration" section. Nikkimaria (talk) 00:58, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Thank you for the review. I removed the Protectedplanet.net refs and copyedited the entire article. We're going to doublecheck that the remaining content is appropriately referenced after the Protectedplanet.net refs were removed. --Rosiestep (talk) 02:40, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Protected areas article is no longer under consideration; Elephant hunting article has been c/e, etc.
 * ALT1: ... that elephant hunting in Chad often includes herd massacres in and around its parks? --Rosiestep (talk) 17:22, 10 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Symbol question.svg Article is new enough, long enough, adequately referenced, no close paraphrasing seen. QPQ done. However, the hook isn't so hooky. May I suggest:
 * ALT2: that intense elephant hunting in Chad has decimated the elephant population by 85 percent over the past 30 years?
 * ALT3: that poachers are slaughtering elephants as well as national park rangers in Chad in an effort to profit from the ivory trade? Yoninah (talk) 22:25, 10 November 2013 (UTC)
 * I prefer ALT2 as it's shorter but ALT3 is also fine. --Rosiestep (talk) 22:48, 10 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Symbol redirect vote 4.svg Needs another reviewer to approve alt hooks. Yoninah (talk) 23:02, 10 November 2013 (UTC)

While checking ALT2, I was confused by the conflicting figures in the article. The "History" section states that the elephant population has shrunk from 150,000 to 2,000 in the past 30 years, but the next section reports an 85% decline in the same period; the source for this latter statement gives estimates of 20,000 elephants in the 1980s, and 3,000 today. If this discrepancy can't be resolved, it should at least be pointed out in the article, and ALT2 needs to make clear that the 85% figure is one organization's estimate, not absolute fact. ALT3 is factually accurate but confusingly worded – it could be interpreted to mean that both poachers and rangers are slaughtering elephants. DoctorKubla (talk) 08:25, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
 * The first figure, of 150,000 to 2,000, refers to the animal population; the second quote, of an 85 percent reduction, refers to the elephant population. Yoninah (talk) 10:36, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Are you sure about that? I assumed the Guardian article was using "animals" as a synonym for "elephants", as it does again in the following paragraph ("It is thought the animals were killed by Chadian and Sudanese poachers"). I find it hard to believe there are only 2,000 animals in the country – especially when there's supposed to be 3,000 elephants. DoctorKubla (talk) 15:23, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
 * I see your point, DoctorKubla. The Guardian article is probably talking about elephants, too. I tweaked the article to indicate that these are both estimates – 3,000 and 2,000. Maybe we should try another alt:
 * ALT4: ... that according to a local conservationist, if the rate of elephant poaching in Chad continues, "not a single elephant will be alive in Chad in three years time"? Yoninah (talk) 21:28, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
 * That's also problematic, I'm afraid, as Vergniault made that statement in 2010 – three years ago. Just to be clear, I've got no problem with ALT2, as long as it's reframed as an estimate, not a fact. DoctorKubla (talk) 08:13, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * OK, no problem.
 * ALT5: ... that intense elephant hunting in Chad has decimated the elephant population by an estimated 85 percent over the past 30 years? Yoninah (talk) 11:12, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Symbol confirmed.svg Alright, ALT5 approved. I've struck all the others, for clarity. DoctorKubla (talk) 13:52, 12 November 2013 (UTC)