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Heroin Addicted Elephant?
By News Desk | September 5, 2008
It is reported that The Asian Elephant is an endangered species with less than 33,000 left in the world to fend for themselves against ivory poachers. With that being said, it isn’t too unusual to hear of traders being caught for capturing the beasts. But unlike most stories relating to this topic, in early 2005 in Southwest China, an elephant named Xiguang what captured by illegal traders. Sometime after the traders captured the elephant, they began to feed him heroin-laced bananas. They continued to repeat this process over several months to control the animal, but were later arrested by local police officers. After the traders were arrested Xiguang was released into the wild, but was later sent to an animal protection center after showing signs of withdrawal symptoms. While staying at the protection center Xiguang received methadone injections to wean him off the heroine. The injections were five times that of the human dosage but gradually decreased until he was completely weaned off the drug. Referred to as “Big Brother,” Xiguang is now clean of his drug addiction and is expected to be placed into a wildlife park in Kunming. The placement is reported to take place Saturday.-Stephanie Harper
Topics: Discuss Amongst Yourselves |
September 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I think that this article was amazing. It captured my attention at least. I really liked how you gave detail about the elephant too. It pretty much was a great article but I don’t understand the picture, unless its supposed to represent a withdrawl feature from the elephant? Good job!
September 5th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Aw thats so awful, animal abuse happens everywhere in so many forms. I’m glad the elephant is okay but it’s too bad things like this have to happen in the first place.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I wonder what the elephant was like on heroine