The African Elephant
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Image: Birger Strahl
Watch What You Buy
Do not buy any products containing or made out of ivory. This is already illegal in many, but not all states, so be aware.
Visit!
Visit the elephants! Contributing to tourism will greatly Support African economy, AND deter poachers.
Culture
Educate yourself on the indigenous cultures that have lived in harmony with the elephants.
Learn
Educate yourself on the importance of elephants to their ecosystems. Be sure to share what you learn with your community to spread awareness.
Look further
Research organizations working to protect habitat, find human conflict solutions, stop illegal poaching, or stop the ivory trade
Support
Support organizations working to build alternative habitats.
Our Favorite Organizations!
Images: Glen Carrie (right)
Peter Schmidt (left)
WWF has an elephant program that provides many resources for those interested. They have taken giant leaps in advocacy for elephants and provided training and equipment for anti-poaching teams, improving management for protected areas. They monitor the illegal wildlife trade for trends in ivory sales which they share to help TRAFFIC Wildlife Crime Initiative. They create conservation strategies and provide training to better protection
Image: Richard Jacobs
WHAT'S BEEN DONE?
Luckily, the government has put some effort into fixing this SEVERE issue. After 50% of an already threatened population was brutally slaughtered, the African Elephant was finally listed as an endangered species in 1990. In 1988, The African Elephant Conservation Act was passed, by the U.S. Congress. Following this was the African Elephant Conservation Fund, which has received millions in donations since. A shining beacon of human kindness attempting to rectify our neglect and mistakes.
This isn't enough though, money doesn't fix everything and we still have work to do. It wasn't until 2016, that a ban on commercial trade in African Elephant ivory was put into effect in the US. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2015). Many countries in Africa have taken legal measures in an attempt to stop the illegal wildlife trade. (Central Africa, 2017) They are mostly cohesive in their statements, saying they will allocate resources to stopping the ivory trade and combating poaching and managing building projects away from elephant habitats to minimize human-elephant conflict. They are trying to preserve/build viable corridors between habitats, educate the public, promote further research, and improve the application of previous measures. (Save the Elephants, 2021) China banned the domestic ivory trade in 2017, which assisted in declining poaching in Africa.
Strides are being taken but we cannot let this momentum go to waste. We need to act now.
