ABREU, Ma. Kristine B.

ABRAHAN
BURBURAN
CATAYOC, Aquima Mae
SARIPADA
SALVO

CASE STUDY: Why the cow is not extinct?

The question was referring about the cow but this case study pertains mainly on
the declining population of elephants.

The STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM here is, why does the commercial value of ivory threaten
the elephant while the commercial value of beef protects the cow?

OBJECTIVES:

 To be able to comprehend and understand about the different situation therein

 To be able to raise awareness for elephant conservation

Going back to the statement of the problem.

Why does the commercial value of ivory threaten the elephant while the commercial
value of beef protects the cow?

The reason is that elephants are a common resource, whereas cows are a private goods.
Elephants roam freely without any owners and poachers hunt them for their tusk or ivory – a
material that is widely used for making sculptures, jewelries and fixtures, while cows live on
ranches or in a dairy that are privately owned. And ranches make a great effort to maintain the
cattle population because they reap the benefits and that is how the cow faces no extinction.

COURSES OF ACTION

1. Give incentives to wide land owners to preserve the species on their own land.
a. Advantages: This could prevent poachers from killing elephants when they are
in a privately owned land.
b. Disadvantages: Distribution of incentives should be at all times consistent. Might
be costly if the program is not adequately funded.
2. Make a petition to have a protected corridor to be left open to connect protected areas
and private conservancies in Africa.
a. Advantages: Elephants and other endangered species will have a safe large
areas of habitat to live in.
b. Disadvantages: States may not conduct and engage with such exercises.

ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION

Elephants should be considered World Heritage Animals and as global citizens we can help
strengthen that argument and get more resources put towards Forest and Wildlife Departments
or the Privatization of Wildlife Management in Africa. People worldwide should support the
conservation organizations and spread the awareness of elephant extinction.

RECOMMENDATION

Building a community support for conservation that can stand up for protection of
habitat for the good of communities and wildlife is the only viable local solution. We
prefer the first course of action by “giving incentives to wide land owners to preserve
the species on their own land”.

Because Elephants are victims of the tragedy of the commons. The only protective measure we
can establish is private property rights through the rule of law. If elephants possess a certain
utility, notably harvesting ivory, then we should prefer they were owned privately, since their
owners would be incentivized to protect them and will be held liable if something would
happen to the creatures. Some Countries have this kind of law about elephant privatization.

CHAPTER 11 PUBLIC GOODS AND COMMON RESOURCES

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