Orphaned baby elephants are often the tragic by-product of the current elephant (and many other kinds of wildlife) poaching crisis taking place in Africa today or victims of human/wildlife conflict.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust based in Kenya has for the last 40 years rescued these babies and through love and dedication figured out how to raise them so they can be re-released into the wild to live the lives they are meant to live. Without their knowledge and expertise these orphans have no chance at life.
For a minimum of $50 you can foster an orphan for yourself or as a gift for someone else. This year we fostered many orphans as gifts to friends and family and have been recipients as well. Supporting the organization is one thing but spreading the word and telling the stories about these animals lives, their incredible emotional sophistication is essential to their survival as a species. They are like us but elephants.
The DSWT makes it easy to tell their stories because they share them via email and on social media ( please ‘like’ them on facebook). Every month I get an update on what is happening at the nursery and throughout the organization (vet services, anti-poaching) and this month I received an additional update on my new baby Ashaka. I am telling you this story so you can share it with others. If we keep sharing then the world will know what is happening to these incredible animals and perhaps together we can save them and others. You can go to the mall and buy a gift or you can make a difference.
Please be sure to read the story of Ashaka’s friendship:
Ashaka and Kamok are two little girls who have grown up in the Nursery together throughout this year and have formed a very special bond in that time. Ashaka came while teething, which is never easy, but thankfully we got through that precarious period and she is now growing up, but not as fast as some. Although older than Kauro she has definitely been overtaken in height. She likes to be with the young orphans rather than the bigger ones as she is shy little girl in their company and prefers the company of the Keepers and the babies. She is always glued to the sides of her friends Kamok, and Mbegu, along with Kauro. She is selective with her Keepers too, preferring some more than others. She prefers company all of the time, so is a demanding little elephant, and if her Keeper leaves her stable at night, even for a short moment, she complains instantly. Ashaka has a naughty streak which is prompted by jealously mostly, and can be found bullying some of the other orphans – she does not like to share her Keepers.
Thank you so much for supporting our little Ashaka who was fortunate to be rescued from the mud and saved long after her herd had gone. Raising Ashaka from infancy to this point, a year on, has been a very satisfying journey made possible thanks to the support of her foster parents.
The findings of last week’s EIA report Vanishing Point, into the illegal ivory trade between Tanzania and China, have made it onto the popular US new satire The Daily Show With Jon Stewart …
WARNING – clip contains references of a sexual nature.
Things have been a little quiet after the march but there’s still lots going on. As a relative newcomer to advocacy I am beginning to realize that advocating for “species at risk” is a marathon not a sprint. I just hope there is enough time to stop the eradication of elephants, lions, tigers, rhinos, apes, pangolins etc..(and I don’t use “etc” lightly here but the list does go on and on and on.)
The one thing I’ve learned is that we’re all too blame. This isn’t a case of this being someone else’s problem. This is our problem. Each one of us, every country around the globe allows the mass extinction of species by either not speaking up or being actively complicit.
In the case of China it’s all those things and more. Growth of the Chinese middle class fueled by one of the world’s strongest economies has increased the cultural taste for ivory. Some people believe (apparently) that many Chinese believe that tusks simply fall off elephants or are only taken from elephants who have died naturally. Even Hallmark was recently promoting ivory as a 14th anniversary wedding gift until public reaction and advocates obligated them to take it down and re-write their catalogue. I want to believe that we live in a day and age where gross public misinformation isn’t possible but in the case of China, a closed society in many ways, it is possible. And of course, it’s not just China – it’s the communities that allow their wildlife to be bought and shot and killed. Poverty, lack of education, greed, transit countries, laws that aren’t enforced and those of us who stand idly by, are all co-conspirators in the death or shall we say the murder of wildlife.
I’m sharing this article published in the New York Times. Global March for Elephant organizers will be organizing protests all the over world in front of Chinese consulates. They might be in it for the long game but so are we. As long as the long game doesn’t mean that no elephant is left standing because of the greedy need for ivory – ivory a word I hate using because of course, a tusk is what belongs to an elephant – ivory is the human objectification of that animal’s tusk.
Chinese President’s Delegation Tied to Illegal Ivory Purchases During Africa Visit
BEIJING — When President Xi Jinping of China and his entourage of government officials and business leaders arrived in Tanzania in March 2013, it was to officially promote economic ties between the two countries.
But according to a report by the Environmental Investigation Agency, a nongovernmental organization based in London, members of the Chinese delegation used Mr. Xi’s visit as an opportunity to procure so much illegal ivory that local prices doubled to about $318 a pound. Two weeks before Mr. Xi arrived, Chinese buyers purchased thousands of pounds of poached tusks, which were “later sent to China in diplomatic bags on the presidential plane,” said the report, which was released on Wednesday.
The Chinese government has been trying to prove itself a responsible state actor that is serious about abolishing corruption and abiding by international law. But the report, “Vanishing Point: Criminality, Corruption and the Devastation of Tanzania’s Elephants,” details Chinese diplomats and military personnel colluding with Tanzanian officials and Chinese crime syndicates to send illegal ivory to China, decimating Tanzania’s elephant population in the process. Read more here.
We all need China to stop this. They have to stop or we’ll lose one of the world’s greatest keystone species – a species that has roamed this planet for millions of years. I don’t want to be the generation that allows this to happen. Because it will happen with elephants and every other animal and species until there’s nothing left. Please share share share.
Everyone, tourists especially, needs to be educated as to the plight of the Asian elephant. These animals’ spirits are broken through a ritual known as the Phajaan; baby elephants are prematurely ripped away from their mothers. They are then caged, starved, beaten, stabbed, poked and cut as they are kept awake for days without food or water.
Once “broken”, the young elephants are forced into a life of street-begging, trekking (rides), and “entertainment”, eg. circuses, painting, zoos, etc.
Please EDUCATE yourself and others! Do not support this cruelty by feeding a street beggar (baby elephant begging for food), riding on an elephant’s back (trekking) or attending a show.
I am proud to have been a part of this amazing, grassroots event that took place October 4th in 136 cities around the world where people all marched to end the ivory and rhino horn trades that threaten these species. Here are a few pictures from the Vancouver event:
On October 4th 2014 Vancouver will take part in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos. 130 cities around the world are marching in the biggest demonstration ever to create awareness of the plight of these two species and to demand that governments end the blood ivory and rhino horn trade. This presentation will be shown at the demonstration. Every person who becomes aware and knows about the struggle for survival these species face takes us one step closer to winning the war against extinction. If you can share this with one person you will have helped. Thank you.
This is a quick video detailing the illegal assault on elephant populations. For anyone wanting to the point information on this topic, this is your video.
Title: Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in Vancouver on Oct 4th, 2014
The ‘Global Mach for Elephants and Rhinos’ (GMFER) is taking place in downtown Vancouver for the first time on October 4th (1:00 – 3:00 p.m.) on the north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Vancouver is joining 127 other cities worldwide including Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Victoria, Montreal, Ottawa and Sudbury in Canada.
The GMFER hopes to raise awareness about the current unsustainable killing of elephants and rhino for their valuable tusks and horns. The GMFER was initiated in 2013 by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya.
The illegal wildlife trade is a global problem estimated at USD $20 Billion per annum. Poaching of elephant tusks and rhino horn has been linked to regional instability, organized crime and terrorist networks in Africa.
Elephant tusks are mainly being purchased in China for carvings while rhino horn has been linked to medicinal use in some Asian countries.
A recent study has shown that 100,000 elephants were killed between 2010-2012 and remaining populations are now under threat of extinction.
HRH Duke of Cambridge has said about rhinos: “There are two thousand critically endangered species on the verge of being lost forever. It’s time to choose a side – between the endangered animals and the criminals who kill them for money. I am calling on people all around the world to tell us: whose side are you on?”
The GMFER event will call on governments to publicly destroy their stockpiles of illegal wildlife products, to show “zero tolerance for illegal trading”.
Dr. Jane Goodall has endorsed the GMFER: “We must join forces everywhere to stop the slaughter of elephants and rhinos. They feel pain, they know suffering. We must stop people from buying ivory.”
“Individuals, and society as a whole, can choose to shun ivory, rhino horn, lion and tiger bones as commodities,” say event organizers, “but we need governments to play their part as well, by increasing penalties for bribery, corruption and trafficking offenses.”
In support of the GMFER event, Joanna Lumley, OBE and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, says: “If we stand by and watch the brutal extinction of rhino and elephant, the stain of shame on our human consciousness will never be forgiven or forgotten.”
“Endangered leads to Extinction. We must stop the demand for Ivory and Rhino tusks.
Check the products you buy and read your labels carefully, especially Chinese herbal products.
It’s our responsibility to stop what mankind has started,” says Paul Rodgers, well-known singer-songwriter and owner of Willows Animal Sanctuary in Aberdeenshire, who is also in support of the GMFER event.
Invited speakers at this year’s Vancouver event are:
Jake Wall, is a PhD student in the University of British Columbia’s geography department, works for the conservation group Save the Elephants, where he has helped outfit almost 100 of the mammals with GPS satellite-tracking collars. Read more here.
Rosemary Conder, Chief Development Officer for the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA).
Rosemary went to Asia in 2011 as a volunteer to help rescued elephants who endured lifetimes of abuse. The experience showed her the horror these gentle giants face and the impact tourism is having on them. Elephants have become her friends and teachers. The trip in 2011 to one elephant rescue project became the first of six. Find out more here.
For full details on the Vancouver march click here.
Please help spread the word and join the march on Oct 4th 2014.#March4ElesandRhinos
On October 4, 2014 Vancouver will be taking part in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos to draw attention to the crisis facing these two species and to call for an end to the ivory and rhino horn trade that is pushing them rapidly towards extinction.
To date, 127 cities across the globe will be marching on that day – this will be the biggest international event ever held to save our planet’s vanishing wildlife, with the focus on elephants and rhinos.
The poaching of elephants and rhinos has reached unprecedented heights in recent years as the demand for ivory and rhino horn has soared in China and other mainly Asian markets. The ivory trade is also fueling terrorist groups, transnational criminal gangs, and armed militias that are destabilizing African countries as well as posing serious threats to international security.
An elephant is brutally killed every 15 minutes – that’s around 100 every day, and at least 35,000 every year. With so few numbers left (some estimates put the figure as low as 250,000 for the entire continent), and with such a slow reproductive cycle, the outlook is looking tragically bleak for elephants. If we don’t take action now to stop this massacre, it will be too late to save them. They will vanish forever – in about 10 years.
A rhino is poached every 11 hours with an estimated 24,000 left in the world. Over 1,000 rhinos were poached last year alone, compared to 13 in 2007. If the rate of killing continues to rise, rhinos too face extinction within the decade.
1:00 to 1:30
Opening events
We have drummers, face painters, photographers, a fun quiz, and items for sale! We need volunteers the most during this time (beginning at 12:45) to help people register, take photos and sign our petition. There will be charitable items for sale by donation during this time (cash only).
1:30 to 1:35
Introductions by organizers
1:35 to 1:50
Speaker Jake Wall
Jake wall is a PhD student at UBC and an African elephant researcher with Save the Elephants.
1:50 to 2:05
Speaker Rosemary Conder
Rosemary is the Chief Development Officer of the BCSPCA and an elephant advocate, with a particular interest in ethical tourism.
2:05 to 2:35
March!
March Route: Georgia to Granville Station, Granville Station to Waterfront Station, Waterfront Station to Burrard Station, to Robson Street and Hornby back to the Gallery
2:35 -3:00
Closing remarks, learn “What You Can Do”, and more pictures!
While we will have some signs to hand out we encourage you to make one at home and bring it along. For ours we used:
paint stir sticks as handles
foam core to mount the poster on both sides
glue – to glue it all together
Here is some artwork you can use or you can make your own! More to come!
Face painting – We’re super lucky to have someone volunteer to face paint. Here are some fantastic designs to choose from. Elephant Face Paint Designs
Marchers in Israel and London!
Capturing attention and having fun at the same time is important. Here are some examples of other marchers:
Protest against Canned Lion Hunting in Israel.
Getting the Word Out
Please help us get the word out. The more people who realize the issues facing these animals, the more of an impact we are able to make on October 4th, the more signatures and MP’s we contact the better the outcome for elephants and rhinos. Let’s make NOISE.
If you have local media, please send them this release:
Please use this poster to publicize the march. Send it to friends and family, post it at your local library coffee shops.
Finalposter – please print or email to your networks.
These smaller promo pieces can be used to hand out to your networks.
Petitions are the life blood of the march. This is how we really make noise. Getting signatures is important. If you can print a copy of this and get signatures and bring it to the march to hand in to organizers that would be amazing and we’ll love you forever.
Tell people about what you know. (See media below and share)
Take what you know and let your government rep know.
Support people working the front lines.You can do this by “liking” these groups on facebook and social media, sharing stories and news, supporting them by supporting their fundraisers – buy t-shirts, adopt orphans as gifts, or fundraise for them. Do NOT support animals in tourism. Elephant rides and treks are all a part of a system of terrible animal abuse. Tell people. Excellent organizations to support are:
“”As the dominant species on this planet it is our moral duty to protect and preserve all forms of life. For species such as Elephants and Rhinos to be fighting for their existence due to human exploitation and interference is unacceptable and we must do everything within our power to turn this dire situation around. We are responsible for the problem and we must be held responsible for the solution. It will indeed be a very sad indictment on our species if Rhinos and Elephants are no more, and that day will come sooner than we think if we do not take action.”
Canada AM – August 2014 Greg Gubitz – Big Life Foundation – Why Elephant Poaching Is On the Rise – “We don’t stand a chance unless we drive down demand”
Don’t let anyone discourage you from social action. Protest, pushing government and organizations to change works but we need to work together, have fun while getting some serious things done. If we don’t do this, these animals can’t save themselves.
The Global March for Elephants and Rhinos October 4th, 2014 has the support of the following NGO’s
ElephantVoices, The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Elephants Without Borders, Performing Animal Welfare Society – PAWS, the Jane Goodall Institute, Born Free Foundation, Born Free USA, Animal Defenders International, In Defense of Animals, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, The Rhino Orphanage, United for Wildlife, IAPF – International Anti Poaching Foundation – www.iapf.org
Mrs Helen Clark, head of United Nations Development Program for your support and inspiration in a call to action for support of the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos!!!!
Orphaned baby elephants are often the tragic by-product of the current elephant (and many other kinds of wildlife) poaching crisis taking place in Africa today or victims of human/wildlife conflict.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust based in Kenya has for the last 40 years rescued these babies and through love and dedication figured out how to raise them so they can be re-released into the wild to live the lives they are meant to live. Without their knowledge and expertise these orphans have no chance at life.
Condofire 