15 things we can do to save the elephants

15 things we can do to save the elephants

15 things we can do to save the elephants

1. Don’t buy or sell ivory, meat, leather, and other wildlife products.

2. Don’t support organizations exploiting or abusing elephants and other animals for entertainment and profit, like circuses, zoos, marketing, tv, films, and tourism.

3. Consider donating to one of the elephant conservation organizations. Here is a list of organizations dedicated to conservation.

4. Don’t buy items made with palm oil; if you buy things with them, please make sure that they are made with sustainable palm oil. A rise in global demand for palm oil has led to the destruction of forest habitats across South East Asia, pushing Asian elephants, orangutans, tigers, and rhinos closer to extinction

5. Don’t buy coffee that is not fair-trade or shade-grown.

6. Only buy wood products that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes responsible management of the world’s forests

7. Be an eco-tourist. Eco-tourism can educate the traveler, provide ecological conservation funds, directly benefit local communities’ economic development, and foster respect for different cultures and human rights.

8. Don’t go on an elephant-back Safari. This involves the brutal kidnapping of calves from their family and painful training using sharp bullhooks and other instruments to inflict pain.

9. Ensure that your local zoo does not import elephants from the wild and demand that your zoo phase out its elephant exhibit or build a sanctuary-sized enclosure where elephants’ basic interests can be met. Don’t forget that zoos are not non-profit organizations; they exhibit animals to make a profit. Here is a list of zoos that use bullhooks.

10. If you shop online, consider shopping through AmazonSmile or IGive. AmazonSmile has the same products, same prices, and same Amazon Prime benefits, except they donate 0.5% of the cost of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.

11. Tell your state lawmakers to implement a ban on all ivory sales within your state. Once ivory finds its way across our borders, there’s no easy way to tell if it’s legal or illegal, that’s why it’s imperative to stop the sale of all ivory. Unfortunately, so far, only New York and New Jersey have completely banned its sale.

12. You can also participate in one of the numerous Adopt an Acre program. By protecting the land in South East Asia or Africa, you can help maintain the natural habitat for countless species, including elephants.

13. Join or start a Roots and Shoots group where you live to work for animals locally and globally.  If you’re in high school, you can join the Roots and Shoots Youth Leadership Council, and the Roots and Shoots website has a list of ways to get involved in conservation and pursue careers to help elephants and other wildlife.

14. Join the conservation efforts with fellow elephant lovers.

15. Spread the word, knowledge is power!

To learn more about these magnificent beings, here are 15 facts about the world’s largest land animal.



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