Tag Archives: anti-poaching

August 5, 2015 · 10:40 pm

Global March for Elephants and Rhinos – Vancouver 2015

ElephantPoster-LetterSize1

Please help spread the word and join the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos march. Last year 137 cities marched (50,000 people). This year already over 100 cities around the world are organizing to end the poaching war against elephants and rhinos. Find your city here.Learn more about the Global March here.

Oct 3rd – Vancouver Public Library – 350 West Georgia – North Plaza

12:00 pm  to 2:00 pm

Register here!

#March4ElesandRhinos #MarchAgainstExtinction

Find us at:  @condofire @elephanaticsbc

Speakers:

Dr. Jake Wall (Save the Elephants)
Dr. Hedy Fry – MP Vancouver Centre

Rosemary Conder – BC SPCA

Vancouver will once again 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.

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.

Here is a short informational video about the ivory trade:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfooocokOr4&list=UULXXG0683FswkRlXk4CTjFQ
Please help spread the word – Join the Vancouver march here! Join the march on FB.

Hosted by elephanatics BC – a  Vancouver based elephant advocacy group

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April 1, 2015 · 4:50 pm

The Dark Side of Animal Tourism in Thailand

I have been shocked by the number of people I know who have ridden elephants. I’m even more shocked that they have no of the dark side of animal tourism…those days need to be over. We know too much about so many animals, particularly elephants. The more we know, the less we will support tourism that is based on animal abuse…and hopefully put our money towards appreciating seeing animals in their natural habitat and supporting the communities who are an integral part of this.

Please read this and share:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/11048530/The-dark-side-of-animal-tourism-in-Thailand.html

You can also find a guide to elephant sanctuaries by country right here.

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October 20, 2013 · 5:41 pm

Dr. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: two minute film that introduces hand-rearing of orphaned elephants

This is a two minute film that introduces the work of the Dr. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in the rescue and hand-rearing of orphaned elephants, so that they might ultimately enjoy a life back in the wild when grown. Please share.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust :: Crowdrise from Village Beat on Vimeo.

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October 14, 2013 · 7:45 pm

Chemi Chemi: Dr. Sheldrick Foundation Birthday Surprise

All year Dave and I have been on a rather single-minded campaign to raise money so we could adopt/foster an elephant for my sister’s family. All year I have warned anyone who is still around to listen – no prezzies, no anything for anybody not even kids. Mean auntie. All present money was put in our ‘elephant collection’ jar along with money raised from recycling bottles, extra birthday money and money raised from selling things. When my sister recently told me she had found a gift for me I looked at her steely eyed – ‘I SAID NO GIFTS – ELEPHANT MONEY ONLY). “Too late” she said equally steely eyed.

photoSo when they arrived the other night for dinner and deposited the gift bag in front of me I announced I would open it tomorrow. “No auntie T, OPEN IT NOW.” said the girls. So I did. And I saw the awesome homemade card that I usually get and treasure. This one had a beautiful baby elephant on it. “Awwwww – he’s so cute.” and I flipped over to the other side where I saw the letters “Chemi Chemi” which means spring.

photo-1“What a great card.” I said – “But it’s more than a card auntie T”. More than a card. Slow realization. They had adopted an elephant in my name. I have been so single-minded in my determination to foster an elephant for the girls that it never occurred to me that they could do the same for me. Wow, and here he is.

So why do I want to do this so badly and why elephants? I want to do it because it started with the simple fact that I’m not a great gift giver and when I buy things I always feel like it’s a big waste of money.

And I don’t want to waste money. And increasingly I don’t want to waste time. And like Bill Maher, my deep empathy lies with animals. And within that empathy lies the harsh reality that animals are entirely unprotected and live at the whim of people. I hate that.

As I get older I feel myself becoming increasingly more focussed on things that I feel need to get done. To use what I have to make a difference. That’s what I want to do. I’m aware that all wildlife is under attack – gorillas, tigers, lions, bears, polar bears, wolves, whales, dolphins, tuna, rhinos, dogs, cats. But I can’t do it all. So I need to focus. So I’ve focussed on elephants. Gentle, intelligent, social animals that are being hunted to extinction.

So baby steps. There are a lot of organizations that are doing a lot of great things to develop awareness and protection for animals. There’s a whole community of amazing people doing great work. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is dedicated to the protection of endangered species – rhinos and elephants.By adopting an elephant and by having an elephant adopted for me I want to help tell their story.

2272010832-pic7So here he is: Chemi Chemi – found at 8 months entirely on his own. He was monitored for half a day and then it was decided that he would be rescued. He was brought to the lodge given water and an attendant for the night. The attendant fed him and spoke soothingly and the little calf settled down. The rescue plane came and took him the next day at dawn. Three Keepers and rescue paraphanalia helped ensure a smooth trip for the little guy. He arrived at the Nursery where he was allowed to meet the 19 other orphaned babies who embraced him immediately. He took to the milk bottle immediately and was taken under the protective wing of Olare the recognized matriach. And that’s the story of how Chemi Chemi was rescued. He was found alone because his family was the victim of poaching, and considering what he had gone through, according to his keepers and attendants, he is doing amazingly well.

You can find out about the fostering program right here.

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September 30, 2013 · 1:24 am

iWorry campaign #1Every15 Minutes is Killed for the Ivory Trade

Jisupportp11oin us for the iworry International March for Elephants on Friday October 4th.

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Why Join iWorry?

Last year up to 36,000 elephants were killed for their ivory. 1 life lost every 15 minutes.
At the current rate of poaching African Elephants could face extinction in the wild by 2025.

Join us as we peacefully march in 15 cities around the world on Friday 4th October.
You can also show your support by joining the digital march for elephants.

Support the DSWT’s iworry campaign and be a part of a global effort to protect and preserve elephants.

The iworry campaign was created by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) and exists to raise global awareness to the devastating impact the illegal ivory trade is having on elephant populations. Launched in September 2012, the campaign has attracted worldwide backing calling for a complete ban on the illegal trade in ivory.

As a field based organisation, the DSWT works on the front line to protect wildlife and prevent the suffering and killing of wild animals. Recognising the need for greater global awareness of the illegal wildlife trade in ivory, which is claiming the lives of 36,000 elephants annually, the DSWT launched iworry in 2012. The campaign is based on the premise that everyone has a stake in conserving elephants and that we must come together if we are to successfully educate and inform people as to the existence of the illegal ivory trade, the devastating toll it is having on elephant populations and through that, call on governments from around the world to take proactive steps to tackle this illicit trade and save elephants.

Sharing the evidence of poaching witnessed by DSWT teams in the field, iworry utilises social media, petitions, imagery, the press and public marches to create an awareness of the existence of the ivory trade and its impacts. The loss of elephants in the wild, an iconic, intelligent and social species, would not only make the world a lesser place, it would have serious environmental and economic repercussions. The iworry campaign calls on world governments to make the illicit ivory trade and wildlife crime a priority issue, to make a financial commitment to security enforcement and to impose a complete ban on all ivory sales.

Why March?

The International March for Elephants has been organised by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) through their iworry campaign and will be taking place in 15 cities across the globe in the single largest demonstration of awareness for the species.

The ivory trade is an international problem and one which must be recognized by Governments worldwide if we are to see any changes.

Join your local city March and stand in solidarity with elephants.

Sign up to one of our fifteen official marches:

Arusha
Bangkok
Buenos Aires
Cape Town
Edinburgh
London
Los Angeles
Melbourne
Munich
Nairobi*
New York City
Rome
Toronto
Washington DC
Wellington

*Please note – due to recent events which took place in Nairobi from 21/09 – 24/09 we have decided to cancel the International March for Elephants in Nairobi. We will hold a vigil for those who so tragically lost their lives in the attacks and also for the elephants who continue to fall victim to the ivory trade. This will be held on the day of the March October 4th at the Nairobi Nursery. More info at: http://www.dswt.org

The peaceful marches will be concluding at Government Buildings where we will hand over a letter carrying the voice of thousands of people, calling for stricter penalties and urgent global change.

Email us to register if you are not a Facebook user.

Elephant Masks

To make it clear exactly what we are marching for on Friday 4th October, we have produced an Official DSWT Elephant Mask for you to print off and wear to show your support. Please see here for a step-by-step on how to secure your Official DSWT Elephant Mask.

Placards

For those who are attending the march and would like to bring along your own placard, we advise that these are produced A1/A2 size with the following phrases:

‘Say NO to ivory’
‘Stop the ivory trade. Save the elephant’
‘Elephant Extinction 2025 – Not on our watch’
‘Join the fight to Save Elephants iworry.org’

We do not condone any offensive text and/or imagery on any placards. This is a peaceful march and all aspects will reflect this.

To download all this material, please visit http://www.iworry.org/

Promotional Material

Download the iworry poster

Get Involved

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