planet manners: #World : Elephant Day & World Elephant Week

August 12 is #WorldElephantDay and the week is #World ElephantWeek 🌐

There are many ways to help save wild and captive elephants from abuse and extinction. Many esteemed nonprofits are requesting financial contributions this week to support sanctuaries, rangers, veterinary care, transport, forest conservation, lawsuits and more. There are actions we can take such as signing petitions and congregating in peaceful protests on behalf of captive elephants. We can write our representatives, avoid tourism that involves elephant exploitation, and drink elephant-friendly tea. The following is one of the appeals in my inbox. It is from David Daballen who is Director of Field Operations for Save the Elephants which is headquartered in the UK. Please consider and share his message, or search to help your favorite organization.

----- Forwarded message ----
From: David Daballen, Save the Elephants <donate@savetheelephants.org>
Date: Mon, Aug 12, 2024, 4:02 AM
Subject: The bulls are back in town

The bulls are back in town ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

GIVING PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE A CHANCE
World Elephant Day

Safo (above) and Malasso (pictured below) - two young bull elephants from Samburu National Reserve - are walking along a route in northern Kenya that their ancestors would have taken centuries before them. These important ancient migratory routes connect elephants and wildlife to rich habitat and potential mates.

But this route isn't the lush green savanna, you might imagine.

Instead, these intelligent and sentient beings are walking through a bustling, noisy town.

People are understandably afraid.

And the young bulls are vulnerable.

It wasn't so long ago that tension was at breaking point in this very town. Another Samburu bull, named Anwar, was tearing down fences and destroying property here in order to find food during a serious drought.

Conflict between elephants and people is a ticking time bomb across the African continent.

Elephants are suffering. Bulls, females and juveniles are being killed or injured during clashes with people.

People are struggling as elephants more frequently move through farms and urban areas, destroying grain stores and raiding crops. And in some parts of Africa, having to be moved off airport runways and away from foraging in rubbish dumps.

Fortunately, for Malasso and Safo, they are under the protection of the Save the Elephants' Rapid Response Unit. Closely patrolling the town and surrounding areas, the unit is working with the local community to guide everyone (elephants and people) safely through this tense situation.

But not every elephant across the continent can have a team of pachyderm bodyguards by their side.

That's why today, on World Elephant Day, we are asking for your help to create peaceful coexistence and reduce conflict between people and elephants.

Liz, can you make a gift to give peaceful coexistence a chance?
With your support we'll keep training as many communities as possible on how to deploy life-saving tools (like beehive fences) that will allow them to live safely alongside pachyderms. Your generosity will help secure the spaces elephants need to safely connect to their habitats, allowing them to roam freely with reduced conflict situations.

MATCH MY DONATION

Your gift matched
What's more - a generous donor has offered to match every gift made up to a total of $12,000 for peaceful coexistence, between now and midnight tomorrow.* Each gift will have a direct and meaningful impact on fostering harmonious coexistence between elephants and people.

Thank you for believing in a future where elephants and people can live in harmony.

David Daballen
Director of Field Operations

P.S Can you make a gift for World Elephant Day to help foster harmonious coexistence between people and elephants?

*Each gift kindly sent between now and midnight (PDT) 13 August up to the total value of $12,000 or equivalent currency will be matched - meaning your gift will stretch twice as far for elephants.