Sunshine for Elephants

Let’s celebrate the wins.

While African elephants struggle to survive the poaching crisis it’s important to take a time out to celebrate the wins, both big and small. Below are a few highpoints from the past several weeks to get you energized.

INCREASING SECURITY

Thanks to our supporters, we’re helping bring more resources, equipment and training to rangers on the front lines.

Recent good news includes:

● Our close partner in Kenya, the Northern Rangelands Trust, has reported that poaching in NRT community conservancies is now at the lowest level in three years! We hosted an online fundraiser that raised enough money in just a week ($12,000!) to outfit NRT’s special 9-1 team of rangers for a full year. Our founding sponsor, Martin Guitar Company, made it possible by donating custom elephant-themed guitars and guitars autographed by Martin Ambassadors, including Colbie Caillat.



● Rangers that our supporters help equip and train in Zambia just succeeded in getting one of the country’s most notorious poachers caught, convicted and imprisoned.



● We provided resources to the Honeyguide Foundation in Tanzania to help relocate their rock star Tracker Dog Unit, a project of Big Life Foundation, closer to poaching hotspots near Taranguire National Park.

This is the kind of work that we’re supporting through our Elephant Protection Fund, which got a boost on World Elephant Day (August 12) when we raised $10,000 online – plus a $10,000 match!

REDUCING DEMAND

Our Beijing-based Ivory Project Director, Xiaohua Sun, is leading our China Program towards progress for elephants in the world’s top ivory market.

Highlights include:

● Her great new website has already racked up almost 7,500 pledges for elephants and her “Every 15 Minutes” app has reached hundreds of thousands of people with the message to not buy ivory.



● Pony Ma, billionaire CEO of Tencent (leading social media company in China) and member of TNC’s China Board of Directors, has stepped forward to be a leader in reducing demand for ivory. He has already persuaded other Board Members to sign a pledge to not buy ivory. These are some of the country’s most influential people, both with the government and wealthy ivory buyers. (Mr. Ma, who is also a Senator, has formally petitioned the government to crack down on illegal ivory trade.)



● TNC’s team in New York provided support to pass restriction of local ivory trade. While it’s unfortunate that the legal trade is affected, the incredible difficulty of distinguishing legal ivory from illegal ivory, the tainting of the legal market with black market ivory, and the unprecedented scale of the poaching crisis are necessitating unprecedented action.

Read Xiaohua’s blog post about why she’s hopeful that demand for ivory can be curbed in time to save elephants.

INCREASING AWARENESS AND GLOBAL SUPPORT

We’re teaming up with many leaders as well as leading organizations around the world to increase attention on the crisis, and through collaboration, work better and faster. We’re official partners of the Clinton Global Initiative’s Elephant Action Network and the UK Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife initiative led by Prince William.

Additionally, our #SaveElephants project has reached millions of people since launch in late June.

● Founding sponsor of #SaveElephants, Martin Guitar Company, and several Martin Ambassadors have issued a slew social media posts to their combined millions of followers, spreading the word about our work to protect elephants and rallying fans to get engaged.

● Sir Paul McCartney not only helped raise $50,000 for our work to protect elephants by autographing a guitar donated by Martin, he also began promoting our #SaveElephants work to his own followers via Facebook and his blog.

● Thanks to the Clintons, #SaveElephants received a lot of attention during New York Fashion Week, including materials placed on seats at Oscar de la Renta’s runway show (as well as an elephant on the runway!) And we co-sponsored a larger than life (really!) elephant sculpture spot that got many people snapping pics and sharing our #SaveElephants message. Wealthy elites in China follow the high fashion industry in the West closely, so this is a highly strategic collaboration.

INCREASING LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT

If you haven’t yet, please read this great article in TNC’s magazine about how community-led conservation is improving lives and increasing hope for elephants, rhinos and other wildlife in East Africa.

Photos: Ami Vitale, Andras Krolopp, Erika Bearman, Ami Vitale