You will see from my header that I am a massive elephantophile. If only I could afford the approximate £10K to buy The Chapman Brother’s sculpture being auctioned by The Independent to help save elephants in the Elephant Appeal Campaign. This campaign will raise money to support rangers on the ground to protect African elephants from armed poachers, together with Space for Giants’ longer term work to create new wildlife sanctuaries where elephants will be safe, forever. There are some very lovely lots to purchase on their behalf but I’m reluctant to attach the link because although I want lots of money to be raised I also want nobody to know about it so that I can afford to buy something (maybe tea with Zac Goldsmith).
Did you know that in 2011 more African elephants were killed than any other year in history. Recent estimates suggest there are 400,000 African elephants, but if the current poaching levels continue, most African countries will lose all their elephants in the next decade. Some 25K were poached, which means more than 100 dead animals a day. The figures for 2012 and 2013 are not yet known, but are likely to be even higher. With ivory worth more than £800 per pound, poaching, though still illegal has turned industrial. At current rates, in twelve years, there will be no elephants left.
NONE LEFT????
ARE YOU SERIOUS????
You mean Babar The Elephant and safaris will become a relic of history? That would be horrendous. They are the most extraordinary creatures. Family values rule. They mourn the death of others and a mother and calf is a joy to behold. The tragedy is when her baby dies – then they are known to spend three days waiting by the body of their offspring because they can’t bear to leave it. Now there is real fear about potential extinction.
It is a familiar cause, but it has never been more urgent. Poaching has turned industrial. The ivory trade is linked to terrorist agencies and gangs and armed militia fly in helicopters over jungle clearings, machine gunning down entire herds. Their tusks are then sold to fund war and terrorism throughout the continent and the wider world. Ivory is still illegal, but as China booms, it is more popular than ever. There is so much demand from the Far East for this symbol of wealth, but it simply has to stop. They can’t kill the world’s elephant’s just so they can continue to make those poncy little carvings that sit on mantelpieces the world over whilst we all stand by.
Somebody needs to go and change public attitude in China before it’s too late.
I will. Who wants to come with me?
Here are some of my favourite photos from when I was in Zambia with my brothers last year. It surely couldn’t be possible that in a few years time my children wouldn’t be able to observe them in the wild (OK I appreciate that chairs and tables are hardly in the wild but the camp was on the edge of the wild…..honest):-
I mean, I even taught them how to stretch out their calf muscles of a morning:-
The chairs were a little to small for the meeting we called:-
Teeny bit close for comfort – especially when he (Slash) came back in the night and broke into my outside loo!
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2 Comments
I will come with you! Makes my blood boil to hear of so many Elephants being culled. As you know I read alot of Wilbur Smith who writes with great unambiguity about the huting in Africa of last century (and the one before).
Bloody disgraceful that this kind of barbarism still exists in modern society. I’m afraid China is a law unto itself, it’s about time they were held to account.
Ax
OK so a team of two so far…..we need more Lx