Today is World Elephant Day, a day to bring the world together to help elephants. And that’s very necessary, because at the rate that elephants are being abused and killed, future generations will only know of elephants from pictures and videos.
There are 62% less elephants than there were 10 years ago and they will probably be extinct in the coming years if we keep treating them the way we do.
Only 400.000 African elephants are left in the world. With ivory being so popular in China, almost 100 African elephants are killed per day for money. As of 2011, more elephants are being killed than born. So extinction is just a matter of time. Unless the demand for ivory stops.
A scene like this would be incredible at any time, but when Thomas Baines sketched this elephant group in August 1870, it was a little easier to find.
— Natural History Museum (@NHM_London) August 12, 2019
African elephants numbered 3-5 million in the last century, but there are now just over 400,000 in the wild.#WorldElephantDay pic.twitter.com/7a5egAw8ef
Of Asian elephants there are even less in the world, only 40.000. They’re also killed for their ivory or kidnapped as babies from their mothers and trained to be rides for tourists or perform in circuses.
Demonstration in Jaipur
Sunday animal rights fighters demonstrated on bicycles in Jaipur in India, demanding the end of elephant rides. Elephants are being forced to carry tourists up a steel hill to visit Amber Fort. A year ago the animal welfare organization PETA inspected these animals and came to the conclusion that they were very ill and should not be forced to do this. Sadly these same elephants are still ‘working’.
Elephants don’t enjoy being beaten up and carrying heavy loads of passengers. That’s it!
— PETA India (@PetaIndia) August 12, 2019
This MUST STOP: https://t.co/LRZVW5zoxJ#WorldElephantDay pic.twitter.com/KRKxmQUo8p
Number 44
In February last year tourists filmed an elephant being beaten in Jaipur by 8 men for 10 minutes because he tried to escape his enslaved life. Indian celebrities reacted with horror when they saw the images. But even this elephant, known as elephant number 44, is still forced to carry tourists.
Can you imagine the world we live in ? Hurting a voiceless being that is being used to carry humans around for nothing all day !! Shame shame shame on these ‘humans’. Aches my heart to see such brutality by my own kind ! Sickening ! pic.twitter.com/2t13KEug1d
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) March 17, 2018
What can you do?
Sadly all captive elephants are being beaten and pained when they don’t do what they’re ‘told’. On this day take a moment to look at what’s happening with elephants and help them by simply spreading the word or supporting organizations fighting for their safety. And never ever ride an elephant or buy ivory.
In honor of #WorldElephantDay, here’s a photo of an absolutely adorable calf noticing an egret near Zambezi River in Africa. #ProtectWildlife pic.twitter.com/qon4YTeLMR
— NatGeoLib+Archives (@NatGeoLibrary) August 12, 2019
Happy #WorldElephantDay!!
— wildlifedirect (@wildlifedirect) August 12, 2019
Today is both a day for the global celebration of elephants and a reminder that their conservation requires a global effort. #DontLetThemDisappear.https://t.co/hfXgLqJwnj pic.twitter.com/QCKKaN2B62
🐘 Happy #WorldElephantDay
— UN Environment Programme (@UNEnvironment) August 12, 2019
What can you do to protect them?
▪️ Visit a park that has elephants in one of their range states. Tourism is a vital economic driver of conservation.
▪️ Commit to learning more about the illegal wildlife trade & speak up to save elephants! pic.twitter.com/IMsqo6XV8F
This #WorldElephantDay, let tourists all over the world know that if you can hug, touch, ride or take a close-up selfie with an elephant, it’s highly likely that they have experienced terrible trauma. Don’t visit cruel venues offering these interactions! 🐘 RT to raise awareness! pic.twitter.com/Uzlz7OeEbP
— World Animal Protection UK (@MoveTheWorldUK) August 12, 2019
What elephants go through to give tourists rides will break your heart. 💔😥pic.twitter.com/PZoh28JPUk
— PETA UK (@PETAUK) August 12, 2019
🐘🐘August 12 marks #WorldElephantDay. It’s time to end the appalling cruelty of wild elephants for entertainment before it’s too late.
— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) August 12, 2019
From #elephant rides to bear dancing, are you still unaware of the intense pain and suffering for #wildlife behind such moments? (Video: @WWF) pic.twitter.com/vYksWbFSYi
Today the world celebrates #WorldElephantDay. Donate to our World Elephant Day charity so we can continue to bring the world together to help elephantshttps://t.co/F6BCeSvGnK pic.twitter.com/WG19Fm5XAF
— World Elephant Day (@wrldelephantday) August 12, 2019
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