A Jumbo Problem

HELP OUR 'GENTLE GIANTS' THIS WORLD ELEPHANT DAY (12TH AUGUST 2021) AND BEYOND

"They who have suffered so much at the hands of humans, never lose the ability to forgive, even though, being elephants, they will never be able to forget."

Dr Dame Daphne Sheldrick

Since 1980, the number of elephants in Africa has fallen from 1,3 million to just over 400,000 - a decline of 70%. Human activity is driving the population collapse, from direct threats like poaching (it's estimated 25,000 to 50,000 African elephants are poached each year) to climate change. And since March the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers African savanna elephants endangered, and African forest elephants critically endangered. The first World Elephant day was launched in 2012 to highlight the plights of both Asian and African elephants and the threats they face, including poaching for the illegal trade in ivory, habitat loss, conflict with humans and being mistreated in captivity.

Elephants are vitally important 'Ecosystem Engineers' as they create and maintain ecosystems by physically changing habitats for the benefit of other species such as opening up areas around water holes by pulling up grasses or knocking down vegetation. Their digestive system isn't very good at processing many of the seeds that they eat and their dung is also a great fertiliser so they also rejuvenate landscapes by transporting seeds elsewhere. For such a keystone species, playing a large part in biodiversity, if African elephants become extinct, the cascading effects would be catastrophic.

What can we do?

1) Support the work of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust who are not only Pioneers in the rescue, rehabilitation & release of orphaned baby elephants back into the wild (often victims of poaching), but they also actively work to conserve all wildlife and wilderness areas in Kenya. Find out more HERE.

2) Help save Africa's elephants by ending Canada's elephant ivory trade! The Canadian government launched a public consultation in July to gather feedback on appropriate measures to restrict the elephant ivory trade in Canada and your response could help to determine whether or not Canada moves ahead with a ban. Add your voice to Brian Adams, William Shatner and the thousands of others who've already demanded the Canadian government takes 'urgent action' by finding out more and signing the the #Ivory-Free Canada Coalition's petition HERE.