In advocating for the global protection of elephants, beginning with a better communication of the facts, we firmly believe in the importance to engage ALL the stakeholders, from African and Asian governments to NGOs, from the general public to ivory consumers, from international corporations to the facilities where elephants are kept in captivity.
We collaborate with conservationists, scientists, law enforcement agencies, security consultants, media, schools and private citizens. We put a lot of effort in encouraging collaboration and sharing among all the stakeholders.
We strive to support activities on the ground that are beneficial for both elephants and people, like our projects in anti-poaching and Human-Elephant Conflict mitigation.
Regarding the ivory trade, China being the largest ivory importer and consumer, represents the most important variable in the ‘ivory equation’ and potentially a very powerful partner.
What we are trying to do is to engage decision makers, politicians and Chinese ivory consumers in order to change their perception on elephants, inform them about the pain and the tragedy, also human tragedy, associated with ivory and start a cultural dialogue with strong ethical and moral implications, not just conservation. The cooperation with the Asian’s society, especially China, is crucial in order to reach our objectives and to make lasting changes.
But Our Message, shared with many other organizations, is very clear. The only way to stop the killing and to save the world’s elephants for future generations is an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite ban on international and domestic ivory trade. One-off sales, monitoring poaching, reporting requirements, missions to inspect schemes to regulate ivory markets – none of it has worked to end the slaughter of these African giants.
Wild elephants in the Yunnan Valley, China