A huge threat to elephants is the ivory trade. When poachers kill an elephant for ivory, they go after the largest elephants – the bulls and the matriarchs. Because elephants live in close knit affectionate family units led by a matriarch, when she is killed, it puts her whole family in tragic confusion, trauma, grief and danger. The killing of the matriarch can destroy the whole family. They need her wisdom to guide them to water holes, feeding areas and to teach them how to survive.
Poachers and ivory traders don’t kill the babies who are left orphaned. So what happens to them? They die, end up alone in the wild with no elder to teach them how to survive or they get sold to circuses, zoos or to mahouts (keepers of elephants in Asia). Most elephant trainers cruelly beat the babies to teach them submission.
Elephants are killed for the ivory to make carvings as shown in the picture, sold openly in the United States, except in California, New Jersey, New York and Washington where ivory is banned. Yeah!!
Pachyderm Power’s Own Anti-Poaching Patrol!!
The man on my right, in uniform, is the very first Maasai employee of Pachyderm Power’s new Anti-Poaching Patrol!!!!! We are so thrilled to be starting this project. Maasai should be at the forefront of wildlife conservation because they live in the bush with wild animals and have deep knowledge about them! Community-based patrols can help safeguard elephants and habitats for generations.
Water only hunger strike in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC