The numbers don’t lie. 35,000 elephants are murdered each year because of the world’s ever-increasing demand for ivory—a demand that has fed a brutal and relentless slaughter.
Elephants move with a touch of grace, a grace unexpected in such large animals, but it’s a grace defined by intelligence and empathy. Among the most intelligent creatures on the planet, elephants have complex social relationships, kinship bonds, and a capacity for emotions that make them unique in the animal kingdom. They are the gardeners of the forest and the keepers of the savannas. Without them, the biodiversity in these ecosystems would collapse. In the past 100 years, African elephant populations have been reduced by 97%. More than 50% of Africa’s remaining elephants could be killed in the next 10 years if illegal poaching continues at the current rate. These animals are in danger, and we are not winning the war against poaching. Dr. Jane Goodall said, “I’ve spent hours and hours watching elephants, and I’ve come to understand what emotional creatures they are; it’s not just a species facing extinction, it’s a massive individual suffering.”