Elephant in the Room 5/15

Wildlife SOS on Nat Geo WILD!, Pittsburgh Zoo, Ban Trophy Hunting, Endangered Elephant in the Room!

Don Lichterman
Mar 16, 2020
8 min read

Wildlife SOS on Nat Geo WILD!

We are so excited for this new Nat Geo WILD series! The 6-episode series is called “Jungle Animal Rescue” in the UK, Europe, USA and “India’s Jungle Heroes” in India, Southeast Asia and other locations. Please check your local listings for time and date.

We all are truly excited about the show! If you have always wanted an up-close look at the lifesaving work of Wildlife SOS, this is your unique opportunity to see us in a way never before possible. This episode highlights the reunion of a mother leopard with her tiny cub. Invite your friends and have a watch party!

Tell Pittsburgh Zoo to Nix Cruel Breakup of Elephant Friends

We recently revealed Pittsburgh Zoo's heartbreaking plans to separate a female African elephant named Seeni from her long-time companion of as many as 25 years. Though Wisconsin's Milwaukee County Zoo is in “no rush” to bring Seeni to its facility, please join us in urging the zoos to nix this cruel plan altogether and send the elephants to sanctuaries instead!

After their families were ruthlessly slaughtered in Botswana, Seeni,Thandi, and Sukiri, were kidnapped from the wild as babies and had lived together since the 1990s. In 2011, the three elephants were shipped to the Pittsburgh Zoo's International Conservation Center, an African elephant breeding facility in Somerset, Pennsylvania.

The bonded trio was first broken up last year when Thandi was sent to a zoo in Quebec, Canada where temperatures regularly drop below freezing. If Seeni is also sent away, Sukiri will be left alone and heartbroken in Pennsylvania. While this inhumane plan has been put on hold, the Pittsburgh Zoo must hear from people who care about animals so this plan is never revived in the future.

The Pittsburgh Zoo has been included on our list of Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants four times.

In 2017, the Zoo was listed for impregnating Seeni who produced an unhealthy calf, who was tragically separated from her and euthanized shortly after birth. In 2019, the Pittsburgh Zoo was shamed as the number 1 worst zoo due to Seeni's planned separation and the decrepit conditions in its elephant exhibit, including peeling paint and concrete floors which cause severe foot problems, which can lead to crippling, lameness, and eventual death.

Our investigator also saw elephants engaging in constant pacing and they were visibly frightened by the dogs stationed in close proximity.

Pittsburgh Zoo and its International Conservation Center (ICC) earned the #1 spot on our 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list in 2019. Our investigator found a number of troubling issues in the enclosure of the Zoo.

Elephants paced around their tiny enclosure for hours, pressing their trunks against a series of small holes in the wall that were the only visible water sources in that confined area. Dogs were observed within close proximity to the elephants, despite a previous USDA citation highlighting the possible "undue stress" caused by the dogs and their aggressive behavior toward the elephants at the direction of Zoo staff. Peeling paint was photographed on the enclosure's bars.

Making matters worse, the Pittsburgh Zoo apparently has no qualms about breaking up elephants who have been together for decades. Social bonds are extremely important for the health and wellbeing of this highly social species. https://www.idausa.org/campaign/eleph...

The Pittsburgh Zoo should close down its cruel exhibit and elephant breeding center and send all its elephants to accredited, warm-weather sanctuaries.

To take action, click here. https://www.idausa.org/campaign/eleph...

Elephant hunting season starts in 2 weeks in Botswana. But Nicole isn’t going to let the bloody elephant slaughter take place without a fight. She wants the U.S. Congress to ban trophy hunting imports from crossing American borders. She needs your help to get lawmakers’ attention before the first elephant is shot dead by an American hunter in April.

Sign and share the petition to help it grow as quickly as possible.

U.S. Congress - Ban trophy hunting imports and end elephant slaughter.

Nicole Rojas started this petition to U.S. House of Representatives and it now has 9,004 signatures. Sign now with a click

U.S. Congress - Ban trophy hunting imports and end elephant slaughter. Support the CECIL and Protect Acts

The Botswana government announced it will restart elephant hunts this year. A quota has been issued of 272 killings starting in April and will go through September during their dry season when the bush is thinner and elephants are easier to locate.

Foreign hunters will be allowed to kill 202 of the elephants and 70 will be reserved for local people. Most of the hunters that go to southern Africa are from the U.S. The average cost for a foreign trophy hunter the right to shoot an elephant is anywhere between $21,000-$60,000 or more.

Now is the time to pressure the U.S. government to take action to prevent the pending elephant slaughter.

Sign this petition asking our members of Congress to support two bills that are moving against trophy hunting elephants from Botswana and ask for lawmakers to defund trophy hunting import permits sold here in America:

CECIL Act H.R. 2245; Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large Animal Trophies
This will restrict the import and export of trophies of any species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Protect Act, H.R. 4804; Prohibiting Threatened and Endangered Creature Trophies
Prohibit trophy hunting of ESA species in the US and import of any trophy of a species listed under the ESA.
Lastly there is an Appropriations Bill For Fiscal Year 2021

The appropriation bill is a spending bill that authorizes the expenditure of government funds. We would like to see language for the Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2021 to defund U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s trophy import permits of elephants from Botswana.

To help make a bigger impact, you can call your House of Representative asking him/her to support the Cecil and Protect Acts as well as the Appropriations Bills for Fiscal Year 2021.

To find your House of Representative, go to www.house.gov. How did we get here?

One hundred years ago, the global elephant population was approximately 3-5 million. After decades of poaching and hunting, the current elephant population is estimated at 415,000. Elephants are critically endangered and protections for them in certain regions, like Botswana, has recently diminished.

In 2014, the government of Botswana put a trophy hunting ban in place. Due to this ban, elephants from bordering countries such as Namibia and Angola came to Botswana seeking refuge. Today, one third of the African elephant population reside in Botswana.

In 2019, the government made another decision to lift the hunting ban on elephants. Last year, there were 358 elephant hunting permits allotted and a further 386 elephants were poached. Such a large- scale loss of bull elephants in what was once their greatest refuge is unsustainable.

Elephant hunting only hurts us in the big scheme of life. In fact, since the elephant is a keystone species that actually supports ecosystems, their sheer existence helps to maintain biodiversity that supports the health of our planet. We actually benefit from the elephants’ presence without even realizing it.

Elephants contribute more to the ecosystem per capita than we do. Elephants are known as the Gardeners of the Forest. Elephants spread the seeds from the plants they have eaten which helps to disperse the plant life to other areas.

This new plant life gives off oxygen for us to breathe. Elephants dig water holes in dry river beds that other animals use as a water source as well as creating trails that serve as fire breakers.

To take this one step further on how detrimental commercial elephant hunting and poaching is, we are currently in the world’s sixth mass extinction. The first 5 mass extinctions were all-natural phenomena. This current extinction is almost exclusively due to humans. Dozens of species are going extinct every day and it is predicted by 2050, 30-50% of all species will be extinct. Losing species at this rate will break down ecosystems that we rely on for the health of the planet. This is another reason why it is critical we help conserve and protect the elephants and all wildlife.

Elephants also help the local economies through eco-tourism. According to an article by All Africa research indicates eco-tourism is a $2 billion-dollar industry and reintroducing hunting contributes to only 1.9% of tourism.

Stand with us to pressure the U.S. government to take action. Sign and share this petition to help end trophy hunting and protect elephants and other incredible wildlife. With heartfelt gratitude, Nicole @WildForChange.

The Internet is full of glossy websites showing off photos of fun-loving, smiling vacationers interacting with "happy" elephants at tourist attractions. But these images are a fantasy that tourism providers want you to believe in.

Behind the pachyderms' apparent jovial expressions hides the actual truth about elephant-focused vacations in Asia.

What these advertisers don't want you to know is that elephants aren't doing crowd-pleasing things because they want to. Elephants are doing these things because they have no choice — because they know they will be hurt if they don't.

No wild elephant displays the behaviors one witnesses in these ridiculous exhibitions. To make the animals perform for crowds, trainers use cruel techniques. Handlers often start with the youngest calves, separating them from their mothers and subjecting them to a training process known as "phajaan," or "the crush." During phajaan, trainers beat the animal into submission in order to break their will. This process leaves them so traumatized that they will do anything their captors say.

But that isn't where the torture ends. For the rest of their lives, these captive elephants are held in appalling conditions with little room to roam. They are overworked, often forced to entertain or carry humans around for hours on end, all while being poked and prodded with hooks and spikes to make them "behave."

The conditions are so grim, the British Travel Association has even ruled these holiday packages unacceptable — yet some British holiday providers continue to sell these unethical encounters to unsuspecting tourists anyway.

Luckily, some in the British government want to make it illegal for any British holiday provider to sell such encounters.

Sign the petition and urge UK authorities to ban the sale of elephant-focused tourist experiences!

British tourism companies still think it's "fun" to send vacationers to snap photos with tormented elephants who perform out of fear of pain. This must stop now!\

Please sign and share a new petition to U.S. Congress asking to ban trophy hunting imports!

Elephant hunting season in Botswana starts in April and will go through September. 272 elephants have been slated for this hunting season.

The time is now to tell the U.S. government to protect elephants and other precious wildlife.

Please click on the link below to sign the petition to the U.S. Congress asking members to support the Cecil and Protect Acts.

Both of these bills will restrict the import of trophies of species listed under the Endangered Species Act which includes elephants.

Please sign and share this petition: https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-u-s-congress-ban-trophy-hunting-imports-and-end-elephant-slaughter

Imagine 272 elephants gone in just five months who are already critically endangered.

Then compound this loss with poaching and wildlife trafficking of other elephants and wildlife.

We do not have time to waste and we cannot give up on this fight.

Elephant in The Room

"Corporations Are People Too My Friends."

Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

Activism and Sustainability:

Gun Safety & Gun Laws
Cruelty Free
Death Penalty
Demand Action
Sustainable Action Network

Fairness and Equality:

Grammy District Advocacy
Privatization
Voters Issues & Gerrymandering
Private Prisons & the War on Drugs
Finance, Housing & the Economy Corporate Responsibility:
Candidates, Bills, Laws & Protections
Wildlife & Oceania
Labeling & Transparency
Comprehensive Captivity & Hunting Results Databases

Canines for Conservation, Karma, Happy at Bronx Zoo, Nepal, Zoos, Big Tim, the Elephant in the Room!

Don Lichterman
Mar 9, 2020
9 min read

Decision in Happy the Elephant's case

Last week, Justice Alison Y. Tuitt of the Bronx Supreme Court issued a decision in the Nonhuman Rights Project’s case on behalf of Happy that is powerfully supportive of the NhRP’s legal arguments to free Happy from the Bronx Zoo to an elephant sanctuary.

While Justice Tuitt “regretfully” denied the habeas corpus relief the NhRP had demanded because she felt bound by prior appellate court decisions in the NhRP’s chimpanzee rights cases, “she essentially vindicated the legal arguments and factual claims about the nature of nonhuman animals such as Happy that the NhRP has been making during the first six years of our rights litigation,” said Happy’s lead attorney and president of the NhRP, Steven M. Wise. In her analysis and conclusion, Justice Tuitt agreed with New York Court of Appeals Justice Eugene M. Fahey’s conclusion that an elephant, like a chimpanzee, is not merely a “thing.” Instead, Happy “is an intelligent, autonomous being who should be treated with respect and dignity, and who may be entitled to liberty.” Further, Justice Tuitt rejected the Bronx Zoo’s claim that its continued imprisonment of Happy is good for her, stating that “the arguments advanced by the NhRP are extremely persuasive for transferring Happy from her solitary, lonely one-acre exhibit at the Bronx Zoo” to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Deeply encouraged by Justice Tuitt’s embrace of the merits of the NhRP’s case following 13 hours of oral argument over three days, the NhRP has already begun working on its appeal. CLICK HERE to sign up for alerts and updates about Happy’s case. CLICK HERE to read more about the importance of this ruling in the fight to free Happy to an elephant sanctuary.

Losing Big Tim

The world recently lost one of its last remaining Big Tuskers. Big Tim died peacefully at age 51 in Amboseli National Park, where AWF has a long history of working closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service. His death leaves a gaping void in our hearts and in the ecosystem.

As each of these Great Tuskers disappears, so does the possibility that we will see another again, which is why AWF invests in strategies that protect populations and habitats to save elephants in the long term. Learn about Big Tim’s life

Watch This Baby Elephant Learn How to Use Its Trunk

Powerful enough to pull down trees, yet dexterous enough to pluck a blade of grass, an elephant’s trunk is a strong, sensitive, and highly versatile organ. And babies aren’t born knowing how to control it: They spend up to a year mastering its many capabilities.

It’s captivating. It’s cute. And we filmed it in the field. Watch on Facebook as one young individual gives it a try, and follow us for more of wildlife’s most adorable moments.

Here's a much awaited video of Karma's introduction to Holly and Kalpana and her welcome into their group.

The three peacefully amble and graze greens on the banks of the Yamuna river. They have grown quite close to each other and one can find them together from dawn to dusk as they share thoughts and stories amidst soft rumbles. Karma is easily identifiable as the tallest amidst Kalpana and petite little Holly.

We are truly happy to report that Karma, who was rescued in January, has befriended Kalpana and Holly. Since they met a few days ago the trio has been joined at the hip. The three of them have gone swimming in a pool and have taken strolls together. But mostly, they enjoy embracing one another with their trunks. Because Karma is blind, her world was both lonely and dark before she was rescued. Now her loneliness is gone and she has a family of her own.

At a hideous zoo in Thailand, an elephant sways sadly from side to side, denied any semblance of a natural life so that tourists can gawk at him.

His misery—and that of the other animals imprisoned at this facility—isn't unique: In the coming months, elephants may still be torn away from their mothers as babies, held captive in bleak conditions, and released from their chains only to be forced to perform tricks or give rides to tourists, all while enduring constant jabs from handlers' sharp weapons.

PETA is determined to expose and stop such abuse. It's appalling how much animals are suffering at that Thai zoo. Eyewitnesses saw elephants who were tightly chained and forced to stand on concrete, leaving them with aching joints and foot problems.

Tourism means torment for elephants and other animals.

These sensitive, social animals are subjected to routine beatings and other forms of abuse—all for a tourism industry that seems to be stuck in the Dark Ages. Some elephants had bleeding wounds on their sensitive ears and temples, while others bore scars from enduring years of violence. Such misery is found everywhere that elephants are exploited—whether in Thai zoos, at temples in India, or at festivals in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

PETA is pushing to free all elephants from "sporting" events, rides, and other miserable attractions—but tourists are still supporting the suffering of these magnificent animals.

Three images of elephants

That's why we're determined to strengthen the powerful exposés and bold, creative campaigns that are reminding millions of people that animal tourism is inseparable from animal abuse.

Help us free more animals from chains.

After hearing from our supporters and those of our international affiliates, more global travel companies than ever—including giants like TripAdvisor and Booking.com—have cut ties with cruel elephant rides. Even the Cambodian Buddhist temple Angkor Wat recently announced a new commitment to compassion by ending these rides.

Following a groundbreaking PETA investigation, elephant polo has virtually ended in Thailand. With the recent release of footage revealing extreme cruelty at Nepal's Chitwan Elephant Festival, we're determined to end that event, too.

But despite our many successes, we can't rest, not as long as any animals at all are still being chained and bullied. We must keep inspiring compassionate people to oppose cruelty by avoiding all animal-abusing attractions.

Please, help us keep moving forward by making a gift to PETA right now. Thank you for helping us create a kinder world for elephants and other animals.

Detection dogs help Uganda double down on illegal traffickers

Close-up photo of trained wildlife contraband detection canine and handler at AWF-supported training facility in Tanzania

Ground up. Hidden in coffee. Disguised. There is no limit to the tactics wildlife traffickers will use when they are attempting to sneak through wildlife contraband. But there is no fooling a dog’s nose. No matter how hard smugglers try to hide their contraband, African Wildlife Foundation’s highly trained canine detection dogs will sniff out wildlife products. In fact, it takes only 10-12 seconds for one dog to inspect a vehicle and signal to their handler where the contraband is concealed.

“If you don’t have a dog, you’re going to have to get out your toolbox,” jokes Will Powell, AWF Director of Canines for Conservation. He runs an intensive canine and handler training program in Usa River, Tanzania, pairing wildlife authority officers with a canine counterpart and training the teams to detect wildlife contraband. With the support of the Bureau of U.S. International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, African Wildlife Foundation has helped train wildlife rangers from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, and Botswana. The fully equipped canine units are deployed strategically at exit and entry points to intercept traffickers smuggling illegal wildlife products — elephant ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, and hippo teeth are commonly seized.

For Powell, the 43 sniffer dogs his team has trained as wildlife detection dogs are just as much wildlife officers as the rangers who handle them. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers who completed their course at the Canine Training Facility in February 2020, he explains that the program is designed for teams to “understand how we can connect with our four-legged colleagues.”

Some of the newly trained handlers will return to Entebbe International Airport, where they have already been assisting the canine unit that graduated from AWF’s program in 2016. A separate group of detection dogs and handlers will be deployed to western Uganda, where, with support from the Giorgi Foundation, AWF has constructed a canine facility at Karuma station in the wider Murchison Falls National Park. According to Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Deputy Director of Field Operations, Charles Tumwesigye, the north-western region harbors trafficking routes for wildlife contraband smuggled across the Democratic Republic of Congo border and, increasingly, from South Sudan. “The converging point is Karuma,” he says, so the Karuma canine unit must sniff out culprits in this trafficking zone before they proceed.

Infographic showing the decline in illegal wildlife trafficking busts by canine units at trafficking hotspots

Finds by wildlife detection canine units at trafficking hotspots in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda decline over time

Canines for Conservation break the trafficking transport chain

With the addition of the new detection dogs and handler team, Uganda’s canine unit is the largest group trained by AWF. When the first team was deployed in November 2016, they initially intercepted illegal wildlife products just twice in the ensuing weeks, but the number of finds soared to 101 in the next year. The busts have been steadily declining since the initial surge, which is to be expected — traffickers avoid exit points where they are likely to be caught. This is why governments are eager to work with AWF to deploy these trained canine detection teams to their trafficking hotspots. Just the presence of the Uganda Wildlife Authority canine unit in Entebbe is enough to scare off criminals, says Powell. “They’ve learned: the dogs are there.”

Apart from acting as a deterrent where they are deployed, the canine units must collaborate with other authorities to reduce the trade of illegal wildlife products across the East African region. Tumwesigye lauds the state-of-the-art canine facilities at Entebbe International Airport: “It has made a very big difference in the way we work.” He notes that stopping traffickers is crucial, but it is equally important to ensure that the investigation and prosecution of these offenders are streamlined.

The complex network of illegal wildlife trade crosses international borders, linking criminal syndicates overseas with local actors — some might be tempted to kill wildlife while others might aid traffickers to slip through the cracks. Without coordinated action to counter this dynamic and dangerous industry, the future of Africa’s iconic species is uncertain. As a wildlife-rich country, Uganda might be a source of the illicit items, but many of the products are intercepted en route from neighboring countries and destined for overseas markets.

Combatting illegal wildlife trade by enhancing regional collaboration

Being a transit country and regional trafficking hotspot, sealing its borders and strengthening wildlife crime frameworks is a priority. In February 2020, Uganda launched the National Wildlife Crime Coordination Taskforce to improve information-sharing and interagency operations in the fight against illegal wildlife trade.

According to Tanzania Wildlife Authority’s John Kaaya, who oversees the national agency’s canine units, it is important for Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to combine forces and protect their shared ecosystems. He underscores the value of the high-quality certification that all AWF-trained canine units receive at Usa River before they are deployed to different trafficking zones across the continent: “With similar training, they will all have the same understanding of how to combat illegal wildlife trade.” AWF is committed to embedding canine units within wildlife agencies and has worked with governments to develop 5-year strategies for the canine units in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Botswana.

The intensive hands-on training at Usa River is only the beginning. Now that the rangers are equipped with the skills and knowledge to look after their dogs and advance the detection capacity of their anti-trafficking teams, AWF will continue to integrate their crucial role into wildlife law enforcement. A newly trained Uganda Wildlife Authority handler recognizes the gravity of this responsibility. Speaking on behalf of his graduating class, he thanked AWF for introducing them to their four-legged companions and providing international canine training that they can apply in different countries across the region to safeguard species targeted by illegal wildlife trade. “You have given us friends,” he says proudly. “Our dogs are an important tool in our work, but we can communicate and enjoy together as we fight against wildlife trafficking.”

Learn how AWF works with Ugandan canine handlers, prosecutors, and investigators to streamline wildlife law enforcement in the country

Elephant in The Room

"Corporations Are People Too My Friends."

Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

Activism and Sustainability:

Gun Safety & Gun Laws
Cruelty Free
Death Penalty
Demand Action
Sustainable Action Network

Fairness and Equality:

Grammy District Advocacy
Privatization
Voters Issues & Gerrymandering
Private Prisons & the War on Drugs
Finance, Housing & the Economy Corporate Responsibility:
Candidates, Bills, Laws & Protections
Wildlife & Oceania
Labeling & Transparency
Comprehensive Captivity & Hunting Results Databases

Stop The Killing of 272+ Elephants, Asha, Raju & Van Devi, “queen of Jungle” Elephant in the Room!

Don Lichterman
Feb 17, 2020
4 min read

Stop The Killing of 272+ Elephants

On Friday, Feb. 7, our Founder & President, Senator Raymond J. Lesniak recited the following keynote speech in Washington D.C., outside of the Embassy of Botswana Good afternoon, I’m Raymond Lesniak, the former New Jersey State Senator who sponsored New Jersey’s laws banning transactions in ivory and rhino horns, banning the importation of trophies of endangered species and their transportation through our state, and banning the exploitation and cruelty of using wild animals in circuses in our state.

Today, I want to remind everyone that God put elephants on earth long before us humans and, if anything, we’re encroaching on their territory, not visa versa. To Botswana President Masisi, I say and pray that you put an end to your love affair with the Safari Club and the auctioning off of 272 permits lined with the blood of elephants in your country. While we’re here in our nation’s capital, we also call upon Congress to ban the importation of trophies of endangered species into the United States and to join with civilized countries across the globe to restore all African elephants to Appendix 1 of the multilateral treaty, CITES, to protect endangered animals and plants and follow New Jersey’s lead and ban transactions in ivory and rhino horns.

All killing for entertainment is contrary to God’s Will. It brings out the worst in human beings. Simply put, it is cruel and inhumane. As Pope Francis has stated, “Our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings. We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary to human dignity.” Continue to read on...

February brings longer days, warming weather, and moments of quiet reflection. We often get caught up in the excitement of our newest members to the herd at the ECCC, but this month we wanted to give you updates on longtime residents Raju and Asha. Your support helps us provide long-term care for elephants like these two. Thank you!

GENTLE GIANT RAJU

In his 5 years with us, Raju’s health has improved gradually as he continues his healing journey. Winter brings an abundance of spinach and cabbage to his healthy diet, but he'll be excited to get his favorite mangoes and jackfruit once the weather warms. Read more about Raju

ASHA EMBODIES "REFUSE TO RIDE"

Asha was a riding elephant at the Amer Fort, in Jaipur. She knew nothing of freedom until Wildlife SOS rescued her in 2015. Asha embodies the critical importance of the Refuse to Ride campaign. These days Asha is inseparable from her best friend Suzy.

Asha has strong matriarchal tendencies and is fiercely protective of blind, elderly Suzy.

New flooring for the Eles!

Because of you, our incredibly generous supporters, we have been able to install rubber flooring in the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital. We have been looking forward to this day with bated breath because this means a ton of comfort for the elephants. Read more

Van Devi, meaning “queen of the Jungle,” has a difficult but important role. She is the matriarch of a herd of 19 wild elephants that have independently relocated to a rural area in India where people are not accustomed to having elephants as neighbors. Something drove them away from their ancestral land and they have tried to make a home for themselves in a foreign landscape.

A GPS tracking collar helps monitor Van Devi's herd in the wild to reduce conflict.

In their search for food and water, the herd damaged crops of local villagers and the conflict that arose sadly resulted in deaths of both humans and elephants. For a while the local people demanded the elephants be ‘gone.’ This spelled doom for the elephants, as they would all likely be captured or killed.

Luckily, Wildlife SOS was asked to help, and with your support, we gladly offered assistance in finding solutions for these elephants to remain wild and free. We initially put a GPS collar on Van Devi and then worked with the local communities to understand how to avoid conflict.

Since we began this project in Chattisgarh, India, in partnership with the Forest Department conflicts have diminished, and the outcry to eliminate the elephants has been reduced. So far, the campaign to protect this wild extended family has been a success, but we have a lot more we can do.

Today we are asking if you will help to continue the work to support the “Jungle Queen’s” herd. Your gift today will help keep this program running to both protect the elephants and work with the villagers.

When we look at Van Devi and her herd, we can’t help but think of all the elephants at our sanctuary that we care for every day. Raju, Asha and Suzy were all born in the wild and then captured and exploited. Sadly, we can never return the elephants that already live with us back to the wild, but we can protect Van Devi and her large free-roaming family.