#Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Excited to unwrap one of our blanket-clad babies later, as we celebrate World Elephant Day.

Heading up the 'blanket brigade,' this little orphan's rescue has afforded him a second chance at life.

Now he needs our support on his long journey back to the wild. Stay Tuned.

🤍🐘🤍

—

History of World Elephant Day

On 12 August 2012, Patricia Sims, a Canadian, and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, an initiative of HM Queen Sirikit of Thailand, co-founded World Elephant Day.

Patricia Sims has continued to oversee World Elephant Day ever since.

It has partnered with 100 elephant conservation organisations globally since its beginning and has reached countless people all over the world.

The fact that World Elephant Day has garnered millions of participants worldwide demonstrates how much people care about elephants and want to do anything they can to save them.

World Elephant Day is a day where organizations and individuals can rally together to give a voice to the issues threatening elephants.

This powerful, collective global movement offers a way to establish and endorse conservation solutions to make the world a safer place for elephants and their habitats so future generations can appreciate them.

Let’s combine all our efforts on August 12 for World Elephant Day to help preserve and safeguard elephants from the multiple threats they face.

[rabbitcruiser]

World Elephant Day

These magnificent creatures are among the largest animals on earth, with incredible memories and emotional intelligence that astound researchers and animal lovers alike.

They’re intelligent. They’re family-oriented. They have great memories. They are capable of feeling a wide range of deep emotions, from intense grief to joy bordering on elation, as well as empathy and stunning self-awareness. They create complex, supportive societies much like our own.

Taking into consideration all of that and much, much more, what’s not to love about elephants? Still, countless elephants are brutally killed every year for their ivory by greedy poachers who then leave their carcasses to rot in the sun. As Graydon Carter, Editor of Vanity Fair put it:

We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits, but the way we treat them puts on display the very worst of human behavior.

World Elephant Day is the perfect time to find out more about these amazing animals and what we can do to preserve and protect them so they do not go the way of the mammoth.

History of World Elephant Day

World Elephant Day was created in 2011 by two Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and first celebrated on August 12, 2012. The initiative was greatly supported by film star and Star Trek legend William Shatner who narrated the documentary Return to the Forest, a fascinating 30-minute film about the reintroduction of captive Asian elephants to the wild.

The motivation for the first World Elephant Day was to draw attention to the plight of these majestic creatures to populations and cultures all over the world. Due to their pleasant and intelligent nature, the world’s largest land animals are loved worldwide. But, unfortunately, these magnificent creatures face multiple threats to their survival.

One major issue is the ivory trade. Currently, the demand for ivory is the biggest in China, with the price of ivory often exceeding the price of gold, something that makes elephants bigger targets than ever. The economics here work firmly against the humble elephant. Extreme levels of poverty in Africa mean that people can often make a month’s wages or more from the ivory of a single animal, selling it on the international market.

Furthermore, the parts of the world that demand ivory, such as China, are becoming increasingly wealthy, meaning that they can pay more for tusks. These dual factors are combining to make elephant poaching one of the most lucrative activities on the plant.

Habitation loss is also a danger to the world’s elephant population as it deprives elephants of the hundreds of pounds of food they need every day, making it more difficult for them to breed and making it easier for poachers to track them down. Unfortunately, researchers believe that loss of habitat is the primary driver for the loss of elephants in the wild. A century ago, they numbered more than 12 million in the wild. Today, that figure may be as low as 400,000, with as many as 20,000 per year killed by poachers.

Data suggest that the geographic range of elephants fell by around 30 percent between 2002 and 2011, with a similar loss of savannah for them to roam. The introduction of large parks throughout Africa has allowed habitat destruction to stabilize, but illegal poaching remains a dire threat. Circuses and tourism are also serious problems for the animals’ well-being.

World Elephant Day is an opportunity for everyone to get together to find ways to reduce conflict between humans and elephants. The solution probably lies in a combination of strategies. These could include land development that minimizes habitat destruction, electric fences to keep elephants away from farms, and changes in local attitudes.

Luckily, an increasing number of both celebrities and politicians have become interested in the cause, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashley Judd, and President Barack Obama.

World Elephant Day Timeline

50 million BC Elephants roam Africa

The elephant species is believed to have originated in Africa and then eventually spread across land bridges to Asia and Europe.

2012 World Elephant Day is founded

Canadian Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, which is a royal initiative in Thailand. The day continues to be led by Patricia Sims.

19th-20th Centuries Elephant populations are reduced

The number of elephants decreases, even with international efforts to protect them.

1976 African Elephants are placed on the Endangered Species list

The growing popularity of ivory leads to a severe decrease in populations and elephants are considered endangered as poachers continue to kill them for their tusks.

2015 World Elephant Society is started

Founded as a charitable organization, World Elephant Society was created to help support the World Elephant Day campaign.

How to Celebrate World Elephant Day

The best way to celebrate this day is to take the opportunity to educate yourself about these magnificent mammals and share your knowledge with others. As ever, simply spreading the word about the dangers these magnificent mammals face via social media can actually make a real change.

Thanks to your sharing a few of World Elephant Day’s Facebook posts, that old high school acquaintance of yours who is traveling to Thailand on her honeymoon this year may just decide to skip the elephant ride when she realizes that “training” elephants often involves tying and beating them daily for months on end.

Watching the aforementioned documentary will only take half an hour of your time but is sure to be a real eye-opener, not to mention the absolutely stunning landscapes shown in it. If you want to get a bit more involved, you could choose to make a donation to a foundation dedicated to protecting elephants from poachers or relocating them to locations better suited to their needs.

The organizers of World Elephant Day also provide plenty of ideas they encourage for helping these incredible creatures in the wild.

The first thing you can do is sign the World Elephant Day pledge. This document allows you to join with countless other people around the world to put pressure on governments to change their policies.

Organizers also want people to promote ethical elephant hashtags on their social media accounts, raising awareness of the abuse of animals worldwide, including in the tourism industry.

Clearly, buying any products containing ivory is a big no-no and should be avoided wherever possible. When buying pianos, antiques, or other products, always check to ensure that the manufacturer has not used elephant tusks in the production process.

You can also support organizations working hard to protect natural elephant habitats. Many of these areas are under threat right now because of population pressures in sub-Saharan African countries as well as India, where cities are sprawling and booming.

Finally, you can invest in projects that seek to provide sustainable and lucrative livelihoods to people who live alongside elephants. These programs improve economic circumstances so that locals don’t feel that they need to poach to make ends meet.

Whichever way suits you best, make sure that you spend this day in a way that helps elephants the world over so we, in turn, can continue to marvel at them and their uniquely fascinating way of life. By playing your part, you can make a big difference.

World Elephant Day FAQs

When is World Elephant Day?

World Elephant Day takes place on August 12 of each year. Other celebration days for elephants include Save the Elephant Day on April 16 and National Elephant Appreciation Day on September 22.

How is World Elephant Day celebrated?

One of the best ways to celebrate World Elephant Day is to help elephants by raising awareness, learning more about elephants, or signing the World Elephant Day Pledge.

Are elephants endangered?

The elephant species is classified as endangered, with only 40,000-50,000 left in the wild.

Why is World Elephant Day celebrated?

World Elephant Day is observed to bring attention to the plight of Asian and African elephants, conserving and protecting them from the numerous threats they face.

How much does an elephant weigh?

As the largest land animals on earth, a large male elephant can weigh up to 15,000 pounds.

Source

[livesanskrit]

Send from Sansgreet Android App. Sanskrit greetings app from team @livesanskrit .

It's the first Android app for sending @sanskrit greetings. Download app from https://livesanskrit.com/sansgreet

World Elephant Day.

World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world's elephants. Conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures, and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary-General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand, it was officially founded, supported and launched by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012. Since that time, Patricia Sims continues to lead, support and direct World Elephant Day, which is now recognized and celebrated by over 100 wildlife organizations and many individuals in countries across the globe.

#sansgreet #sanskritgreetings #greetingsinsanskrit #sanskritquotes #sanskritthoughts #emergingsanskrit #sanskrittrends #trendsinsanskrit #livesanskrit #sanskritlanguage #sanskritlove #sanskritdailyquotes #sanskritdailythoughts #sanskrit #resanskrit #worldelephantday #elephantday #elephant #elephants #elephant🐘 #elephantlover #elephantlovers #myelephant #keralaelephants #saveelephantfoundation #keralaelephant #thailand #thaielephant #saveelephants #celebratingsanskrit

[allinlist]

Save the Elephant Day

Saving an Elephant Day has been observed across the globe on April 16 yearly. The purpose is for raising awareness about the jam of elephants, whose populace has keep on declining quite noticeably.

SAVING THE ELEPHANT DAY HISTORY

Elephants are the biggest existing land animals which are spread across Asia and Africa. Recent studies estimated that there are just over 400,000 of elephants now from across the continent of Africa and even though the situation differed from countries, it can’t be denied that this giant mammal is declining on the continent-wide scale. The human activities like poaching for ivory stays the important reason for the said decline.

This saving the Elephant Day looks to change this disturbing trend by educating the people about the elephants and the mess they are facing, encouraging everybody to do their part in helping to rescue elephants from extinction.

The organizations across the globe have worked together in dealing some of the main threats elephant populations are facing. In 1989, the global commercial trade for ivory was barred. The CITES or Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species secured the agreement among the member states to forbid the global ivory trade.

In year 2016, China, which has been the largest ivory market of the world, called for the outlaw of all ivory trades within the country. During 20th of December, 2018, the Ivory Act 2018 in U.K. received royal assent right after being passed through the British Parliament. This act can be extended to contain the narwhals, hippos, and walruses in the future.

While in year 2012, the saving an Elephant Day had been established in Thailand by Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, together with a Canadian filmmaker, Patricia Sims. The launch of the global initiative in 2012 saw the announcement of this “Return to the Forest,” the documentary movie narrated by the actor William Shatner in “Star Trek”.

TIMELINE OF SAVING THE ELEPHANT DAY

1989 - International Commercial Ivory Trade is Ban

The CITES or Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species secured the agreement among the member states for banning the global ivory trade.

2012 - Day is Establish

The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation situated in Thailand makes the Save the Elephant Day.

2016 - China Ivory Sales Bans

China, the largest ivory market in the world, bans all ivory trades within the state.

2018 - U.K. Ivory Act

The Ivory Act in U.K. in December 20, 2018, takes the royal assent right after being passed on the British Parliament.

OBSERVING SAVING THE ELEPHANT DAY

Make awareness over the social media

Share helpful information about saving elephants on the social media platforms. Anyone can join sensitization campaigns for informing the general public regarding the need to assist save endangered elephant populace.

2.Do not buy ivory products

Help in discouraging the rustling of elephants through not purchasing any ivory merchandise. When there are no orders for elephant tusks, the poachers will not have any market.

3. Support organizations

Support the organizations that are dealing to stop the unlawful poaching and trading of elephant ivory plus some other wildlife products. Anyone can help through donating to the cause or through volunteering.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT ELEPHANTS

Elephants help in shaping the ecosystems. Elephants are important for supporting the ecosystems and are being considered as the central species for the task they play.

Species are recognized by their ears. African elephant ears are much bigger than the Asian elephants.

Elephant tusks are their teeth. The elephant tusks are inflated incisor teeth that initially appear when the elephants are two years old.

Many African elephants had been wiped out. Around 90% of the African elephants had been wiped out during the previous century because of the ivory trade.

Elephants have a very thick skin. The elephant’s skin is around 1.6 inches thickness in most places.

SAVING THE ELEPHANT DAY AS AN IMPORTANT DAY

It helps to end the unlawful wildlife elephant trade. Everyone had their chance to play their part in stopping this unlawful wildlife elephant trade. Everybody must support community scouts, wildlife trade, rangers, and sniffer dogs in monitoring networks to discourage poachers and to cut the demand from the buyers.

It sensitizes the community. We create awareness regarding the predicament of these elephants. We help to discourage also the public from buying stuffs made of ivory.

It raises funds. Through encouraging people to contribute to Save the Elephants campaign, we can help in protecting them. Fundraising events also organized in helping to protect the left over estimated 497,000 elephants from across the world.

REPRESENTATIVE VARIETIES OF ELEPHANTS

Elephas maximus - The Asian elephant is also named as the Asiatic elephant. This is the elephant species distributed throughout the Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, from west India, Nepal in north, Sumatra in south, and Borneo in east. This Asian elephant is described by their long trunk with the solo finger-like processing, small ears fold-up laterally, wrinkled grey skin, and large tusks for males. Their skin is smoother when compared with African elephants and can be depigmented on their trunk, neck or ears. The adult males averaging 4 tons (4.4 short tons; 3.9 long tons) in weight, while the females averaging 2.7 tons (3.0 short tons; 2.7 long tons).

Elephas maximus indicus - The Indian elephant is one of the three extant recognized types of Asian elephant, inhabitant from mainland Asia. The kind is smaller than African elephant species together with the convex back and with the highest point of body on its head. This elephant exhibits important sexual dimorphism with the male reaching the average shoulder height around 3.2 m and weighs 5,400 kg. While the female reaches the average shoulder height around 2.54 m and weighs 4,160 kg. It has the broader skull with the concave forehead, a large trunk and two big laterally folded ears. It has gray colored smooth skin, a long tail and four large legs.

. African elephants – These are members from the genus Loxodonta including two living elephant types, the L. africana (African bush elephant) and the slighter L. cyclotis (African forest elephant). Both are considered social herbivores with gray skin, but will differ in the color and size of their tusks, also in the size and the shape of their skulls and ears. Loxodonta is one from the two existing genera of the Elephantidae family. The name pertains to the lozenge-formed enamel of the molar teeth. Fossil relics of Loxodonta species had been located in Africa, straddling from Late Miocene, from about 7-6 million years past and onwards.

Loxodonta africana - African bush elephant is also called African savanna elephant. It is one of those two existing African elephant species, also one of the three extant elephant types. It is the biggest living terrestrial animal that has bulls reaching a standard average shoulder height around 3.04–3.36 meters and with the body mass of around 5.2–6.9 tons, with the biggest recorded specimen having the shoulder height of around 3.96 meters and the body mass of around 10.4 tons. It is distributed from across 37 African states and inhabits forests, wetlands and agricultural lands and grasslands and woodlands. It is considered a social mammal, moving in herds settled with their offspring and cows. The adult bulls usually dwell live alone or with a small bachelor groups. These are herbivore, creepers, herbs, leaves, bark and feeding on grasses. The menstrual cycle will lasts for 3-4 months, and the females are pregnant to around 22 months, it is the longest gestation time of any mammal.

Borneo pygmy elephant - This Borneo elephant is also named as Bornean elephant is the subspecies of the Asian elephant that inhabited northeastern Borneo, in Malaysia and Indonesia. Its origin stays the topic of debate. This is an ultimate subspecific classification as an Elephas maximus borneensis waiting the thorough range-wide morphometric with the genetic study. During the 18th century, the Sulu Sultan was considered to have introduced the enslave elephants to Borneo that were released in the jungle. Comparison with the Borneo elephant populace to putative source population in DNA analysis indicated that the Borneo elephant is more likely taken from Sundaic stocks and are origin to Borneo, before of having been commenced by humans. The hereditary divergence of Borneo elephant warrants their identification as the separate evolutionarily essential unit.

Elephas or Elephantidae is one of those two surviving genera of the elephant family, with one surviving kind, the Elephas maximus Asian elephant. Some extinct species had been identified as fitting in the genus, enlarging back to Pliocene era. The species of Elephas had the distinct bossing of parieto-occipital regions of the skull. Their premaxillae bones have the tusk is tapered.

Loxodonta cyclotis – This African forest elephant is one of those two living kinds of African elephant. This is inhabitant to humid tropical forest in Congo Basin and West Africa. This is the smallest from the three existing elephant species, reaching the shoulder height of about 2.4 m. As with the other African elephants, mutual sexes have straight and down-pointing tusks, that start to grow once they arrive at 1–3 years of age. The initial scientific description of this species was published during 1900. In the 20th century, the overhunting caused the sharp declined of their population, and in year 2013 it was predicted that about less than 30,000 elephants remained.

Elephas maximus maximus – This Sri Lankan elephant is a native of Sri Lanka and also one from the three identified subspecies of Asian elephants. It is the kind Asian elephant that initially expressed by Carl Linnaeus in 1758under binomial Elephas maximus. This Sri Lankan elephant populace is now largely constrained to dry zone in east, southeast and north of Sri Lanka. The elephants are now present in Yala National Park, Udawalawe National Park, Lunugamvehera National Park, Minneriya National Park and Wilpattu National Park, but also dwelled outside protected areas. It’s estimated that the country of Sri Lanka had the biggest density of elephants around Asia. Human-elephant clash is increasing because of conversion of elephant habitats to permanent cultivation and settlements.

[floridaboiler]

HAPPY SAVE THE ELEPHANT DAY!!! Save The Elephant Day was founded by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation. The launch of this holiday began back in 2012 with the release of the “Return to the Forest.” This was a documentary film telling the story about the challenges of reintroducing captive Asian elephants back into the wild in Thailand.

https://mewe.com/p/bikinisummer

[don-lichterman]

New Jersey library book returned 75 years past due date

New Jersey library book returned 75 years past due date

Odd News // 17 hours ago World Elephant Day promotes protection of pachyderms Aug. 12 (UPI) — World Elephant Day, marked annually on Aug. 12, was founded by filmmaker Patricia Sims and Thailand's Elephant Reintroduction Foundation to promote … Source link

[holidays-events]

🐘 WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 🐘

Join in the worldwide observance on August 12th of one of Earth’s most magnificent creatures.  It’s World Elephant Day.

For more information visit WorldElephantDay.org.  Use #WorldElephantDay to share on social media.

🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘

World Elephant Day World Elephant Day: History and Celebrations World Elephant Day: They are pleasant, they are intelligent, and they are loved by people worldwide. Yes, these are the largest land animals “the elephants”. Unfortunately, these majestic creatures have to face several threats to their survival. The ivory trade is one of the significant risks associated with these magnificent creatures. However, some other issues like loss of habitat, human-elephant conflict, mistreatment in captivity, etc. also show the plight of elephants. World elephant day (WED) was started to draw people’s attention to protecting the elephants. Therefore, this international day provides us with an opportunity to raise awareness about the danger these animals are facing and what can be the solution to overcome this situation.

History of World Elephant Day World Elephant Day came into existence in 2011 by the initiative of two Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims & Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures and also Sivaporn Dardarananda (the Secretary-General of Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation). So, for the first time on 12th August 2012, we celebrated this day. The inaugural celebration of WED got great support from film star and Star Trek legend William Shatner. He narrated the documentary “Return to the Forest“. It was a 30-minute documentary about the reintroduction of captive Asian elephants to the wild. Therefore, since 2012, We dedicated the 12th of August to the elephants. World Elephant Day (WED) 2013 For bringing people together to help elephants, the WED organization celebrated this day for the second time in 2013. This day the people worldwide remind the world’s elephants are in danger. The” iWorry campaign” of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust organized an International March for Elephants on 4th October 2013.

World Elephant Day 12 August Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is observing world elephant day every day by working to rescue and save our Elephants, and one of those steps includes the rescue of Barnoti. He was orphaned on 4th April 2019 due to the unknown death of his mother. After aftercare and support, the organization saw some improvement in his health. However, he is not with us now but always stays in our hearts. Further, this organization shouts for adopting a baby elephant to provide it love and life on the occasion of Easter. They state, “Make it less about chocolates and more about chocolate-colored Elephant this Easter.” Besides, Wildlife experts are celebrating World Elephant Day by raising awareness about how Elephants are ill-suited to be kept inside a Zoo. For adding substance, a detailed report is prepared to acknowledge how Elephants get affected psychologically and early death when kept in zoos. Several organizations agree with this fact and take steps toward providing Elephants with life outside of the Zoo atmosphere. Another news shows a significant step towards celebrating World Elephant Day 2022. There are 500 Elephants to translocate from Botswana to Mozambique. The reason is the tuskless birth of female Elephants in Mozambique, which researchers are stating is a response to evolution. With regular awareness and action, we can prevent the illegal killing of Elephants for ivory tusks and save their habitats from extinction.

Also Read: How Can You Take Care of Animals?

How to Celebrate World Elephant Day 2022? Our involvement is vital to make this day more unique which will show our consciousness towards these wild animals. Here are some ways to contribute your part to the WED anniversary. You can host your elephant day events like a themed party with your family or friends. Also, you can screen the “Return to the Forest” documentary to celebrate the day. You can share the knowledge about the plight of elephants and how we can help them to survive. Art is an excellent medium to express your thoughts and feelings to others. You can organize a painting competition in the school or in your neighborhood to involve everybody, especially the kids. You can visit the zoo or sanctuary to experience the life of elephants and their role in the ecosystem. Utilize your social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to share your concern about elephants using #WorldElephantDay. Many organizations are working for the well-being of elephants worldwide. You can donate your contribution to any of these organizations to help save elephants.

World elephant day has originated to mark the plight of world elephants. Saving elephants from extinction is the main motive behind this day. We all must work together to protect elephants so that our future generations do not get to know about the largest land animal only from books; instead, they can experience the existence of elephants on their own.

🐘🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘

🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘

🐘

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiyWaRqW7RXxJKdzI6xfeIkU2EvqiH4cx

🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘

[ricardodahcor]

Save the Elephant Day is celebrated on April 16, established by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand together with Patricia Sims, a Canadian filmmaker. The launch of this worldwide initiative in the year 2012 saw the release of the “Return to the Forest”, a documentary film. Elephants are known as the most enormous land animals and a surprisingly gentle giant in the animal kingdom. Emotional, intelligent and beautiful in the wild, sadly elephant populations have been rapidly decreasing due to various threats, perhaps most significantly poaching. Save The Elephant Day aims to change this alarming trend by educating people about elephants and the plights they face, encouraging everyone to do their bit and help save them from extinction. Elephants are what is known as a keystone species due to their effect on their environment and the flora and fauna around them. Their size and strength allow them to shape the habitats they live in, for example by digging new watering holes. They are also vital for spreading seeds, facilitating the reproduction of various plant and tree species.Yet despite our affinity with and indebtedness to these amazing animals, our treatment of them has sadly led to a decline in numbers and a proliferation of abused and exploited elephants. #SaveTheElephantDay #RacketOfTheDay #CustomMade #TennisRacket #BreakTheTie #breaktothefuture (em Elephant Reintroduction Foundation) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcZxDgvAH9X/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jnadonza]

“History of World Elephant Day World Elephant Day was created in 2011 by two Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and first celebrated on August 12, 2012. The initiative was greatly supported by film star and Star Trek legend William Shatner who narrated the documentary Return to the Forest, a fascinating 30-minute film about the reintroduction of captive Asian elephants to the wild. The motivation for the first World Elephant Day was to draw attention to the plight of these majestic creatures to populations and cultures all over the world. Due to their pleasant and intelligent nature, the world’s largest land animals are loved worldwide. But, unfortunately, these magnificent creatures face multiple threats to their survival. One major issue is the ivory trade. Currently, the demand for ivory is the biggest in China, with the price of ivory often exceeding the price of gold, something that makes elephants bigger targets than ever. The economics here work firmly against the humble elephant. Extreme levels of poverty in Africa mean that people can often make a month’s wages or more from the ivory of a single animal, selling it on the international market.” https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-elephant-day/ ELEPHANT Design: Rick Beech Paper: notepad, 5”x5” #origami #instaorigami #paperflexn #origamiartist #origamifun #origamilove #origamilover #paperfolding #origamifolding #paperoflexia #paperliscious #paperart #foldingpaper #origamiwork #origamilove #foldoftheday #prisma (at Palmdale, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHOG0WApK_0/?igshid=1c0wnzi8ldwga

[rabbitcruiser]

World Elephant Day

These magnificent creatures are among the largest animals on earth, with incredible memories and emotional intelligence that astound researchers and animal lovers alike.

They’re intelligent. They’re family-oriented. They have great memories. They are capable of feeling a wide range of deep emotions, from intense grief to joy bordering on elation, as well as empathy and stunning self-awareness. They create complex, supportive societies much like our own.

Taking into consideration all of that and much, much more, what’s not to love about elephants? Still, countless elephants are brutally killed every year for their ivory by greedy poachers who then leave their carcasses to rot in the sun. As Graydon Carter, Editor of Vanity Fair put it:

We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits, but the way we treat them puts on display the very worst of human behavior.

World Elephant Day is the perfect time to find out more about these amazing animals and what we can do to preserve and protect them so they do not go the way of the mammoth.

History of World Elephant Day

World Elephant Day was created in 2011 by two Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and first celebrated on August 12, 2012. The initiative was greatly supported by film star and Star Trek legend William Shatner who narrated the documentary Return to the Forest, a fascinating 30-minute film about the reintroduction of captive Asian elephants to the wild.

The motivation for the first World Elephant Day was to draw attention to the plight of these majestic creatures to populations and cultures all over the world. Due to their pleasant and intelligent nature, the world’s largest land animals are loved worldwide. But, unfortunately, these magnificent creatures face multiple threats to their survival.

One major issue is the ivory trade. Currently, the demand for ivory is the biggest in China, with the price of ivory often exceeding the price of gold, something that makes elephants bigger targets than ever. The economics here work firmly against the humble elephant. Extreme levels of poverty in Africa mean that people can often make a month’s wages or more from the ivory of a single animal, selling it on the international market.

Furthermore, the parts of the world that demand ivory, such as China, are becoming increasingly wealthy, meaning that they can pay more for tusks. These dual factors are combining to make elephant poaching one of the most lucrative activities on the plant.

Habitation loss is also a danger to the world’s elephant population as it deprives elephants of the hundreds of pounds of food they need every day, making it more difficult for them to breed and making it easier for poachers to track them down. Unfortunately, researchers believe that loss of habitat is the primary driver for the loss of elephants in the wild. A century ago, they numbered more than 12 million in the wild. Today, that figure may be as low as 400,000, with as many as 20,000 per year killed by poachers.

Data suggest that the geographic range of elephants fell by around 30 percent between 2002 and 2011, with a similar loss of savannah for them to roam. The introduction of large parks throughout Africa has allowed habitat destruction to stabilize, but illegal poaching remains a dire threat. Circuses and tourism are also serious problems for the animals’ well-being.

World Elephant Day is an opportunity for everyone to get together to find ways to reduce conflict between humans and elephants. The solution probably lies in a combination of strategies. These could include land development that minimizes habitat destruction, electric fences to keep elephants away from farms, and changes in local attitudes.

Luckily, an increasing number of both celebrities and politicians have become interested in the cause, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashley Judd, and President Barack Obama.

World Elephant Day Timeline

50 million BC Elephants roam Africa

The elephant species is believed to have originated in Africa and then eventually spread across land bridges to Asia and Europe.

2012 World Elephant Day is founded

Canadian Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, which is a royal initiative in Thailand. The day continues to be led by Patricia Sims.

19th-20th Centuries Elephant populations are reduced

The number of elephants decreases, even with international efforts to protect them.

1976 African Elephants are placed on the Endangered Species list

The growing popularity of ivory leads to a severe decrease in populations and elephants are considered endangered as poachers continue to kill them for their tusks.

2015 World Elephant Society is started

Founded as a charitable organization, World Elephant Society was created to help support the World Elephant Day campaign.

How to Celebrate World Elephant Day

The best way to celebrate this day is to take the opportunity to educate yourself about these magnificent mammals and share your knowledge with others. As ever, simply spreading the word about the dangers these magnificent mammals face via social media can actually make a real change.

Thanks to your sharing a few of World Elephant Day’s Facebook posts, that old high school acquaintance of yours who is traveling to Thailand on her honeymoon this year may just decide to skip the elephant ride when she realizes that “training” elephants often involves tying and beating them daily for months on end.

Watching the aforementioned documentary will only take half an hour of your time but is sure to be a real eye-opener, not to mention the absolutely stunning landscapes shown in it. If you want to get a bit more involved, you could choose to make a donation to a foundation dedicated to protecting elephants from poachers or relocating them to locations better suited to their needs.

The organizers of World Elephant Day also provide plenty of ideas they encourage for helping these incredible creatures in the wild.

The first thing you can do is sign the World Elephant Day pledge. This document allows you to join with countless other people around the world to put pressure on governments to change their policies.

Organizers also want people to promote ethical elephant hashtags on their social media accounts, raising awareness of the abuse of animals worldwide, including in the tourism industry.

Clearly, buying any products containing ivory is a big no-no and should be avoided wherever possible. When buying pianos, antiques, or other products, always check to ensure that the manufacturer has not used elephant tusks in the production process.

You can also support organizations working hard to protect natural elephant habitats. Many of these areas are under threat right now because of population pressures in sub-Saharan African countries as well as India, where cities are sprawling and booming.

Finally, you can invest in projects that seek to provide sustainable and lucrative livelihoods to people who live alongside elephants. These programs improve economic circumstances so that locals don’t feel that they need to poach to make ends meet.

Whichever way suits you best, make sure that you spend this day in a way that helps elephants the world over so we, in turn, can continue to marvel at them and their uniquely fascinating way of life. By playing your part, you can make a big difference.

World Elephant Day FAQs

When is World Elephant Day?

World Elephant Day takes place on August 12 of each year. Other celebration days for elephants include Save the Elephant Day on April 16 and National Elephant Appreciation Day on September 22.

How is World Elephant Day celebrated?

One of the best ways to celebrate World Elephant Day is to help elephants by raising awareness, learning more about elephants, or signing the World Elephant Day Pledge.

Are elephants endangered?

The elephant species is classified as endangered, with only 40,000-50,000 left in the wild.

Why is World Elephant Day celebrated?

World Elephant Day is observed to bring attention to the plight of Asian and African elephants, conserving and protecting them from the numerous threats they face.

How much does an elephant weigh?

As the largest land animals on earth, a large male elephant can weigh up to 15,000 pounds.

Source

[livesanskrit]

Send from Sansgreet Android App. Sanskrit greetings app from team @livesanskrit .

It's the first Android app for sending @sanskrit greetings. Download app from https://livesanskrit.com/sansgreet

World Elephant Day.

World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world's elephants. Conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures, and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary-General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand, it was officially founded, supported and launched by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012. Since that time, Patricia Sims continues to lead, support and direct World Elephant Day, which is now recognized and celebrated by over 100 wildlife organizations and many individuals in countries across the globe.

#sansgreet #sanskritgreetings #greetingsinsanskrit #sanskritquotes #sanskritthoughts #emergingsanskrit #sanskrittrends #trendsinsanskrit #livesanskrit #sanskritlanguage #sanskritlove #sanskritdailyquotes #sanskritdailythoughts #sanskrit #resanskrit #worldelephantday #elephantday #elephant #elephants #elephant🐘 #elephantlover #elephantlovers #myelephant #keralaelephants #saveelephantfoundation #keralaelephant #thailand #thaielephant #saveelephants #celebratingsanskrit

[whenelephantswereyoung]

Elephants’ Uncertain Outlook

Photo:  Melanie Hittrich

How a human pandemic is disrupting the lives of elephants

Written by Marguerite du Plessis

When the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in early 2020, industries slowed,  livelihoods changed, and humans around the world became housebound.  In  doing so, we largely retreated from a century’s long expansion into  natural habitats around the world, and this sudden shift in activity has  led to unexpected consequences, including disruptions to the lives of  several elephant populations.

As humans stepped inwards, some elephants stepped outwards.  Asian  and African elephants who previously had their movements restricted to  sanctuaries and wildlife reserves suddenly found themselves with fewer  human conservation officers maintaining a watchful eye.  This has led to  several examples of elephants modestly expanding their ranges in recent  months.  In Asia, it also meant that elephants working in the logging  or tourism industries no longer had to be subjected to daily labor.   Sadly, these two examples appear to be relatively minor benefits, and  they pale in comparison to the negative externalities that the human  pandemic is having on pachyderms.

Photo:  Melanie Hittrich

For African elephants living in parks and sanctuaries, their safety  is typically safeguarded by crews of rangers and caretakers, but with  international tourism coming to a halt, important sources of revenue  that would normally be invested into elephants are no longer coming in.   Charities also play a vital role in supporting elephant conservation,  but the economic conditions created by the pandemic are leading to fewer  dollars being donated to these worthy causes.  With fewer resources  available to invest in elephant protection, it seems inevitable that  poachers will be emboldened in their actions and that the ivory trade  will likely proliferate under these conditions.  Beyond poaching, for  their tusks, there has also been an increase in hunting elephants for  bushmeat.  Elephant meat presents an option for hungry locals who find  themselves in economic hardship and facing their starvation.

In Asia, before the pandemic, the most significant threat to elephant  populations was habitat loss due to expanding human settlement.  This  has taken the form of agricultural expansion plus the construction of  roads, canals, and fences that fragment elephant territory.  The result  has been rising instances of human-elephant conflict, with elephants  attempting to follow their ancient migratory routes then encountering  crops and property along the way.  This has led to animosities, as well  as human and elephant deaths.  During the pandemic, these major issues  have not dissipated.  In fact, COVID 19 has indirectly led to increased  elephant mobility.  This surge boosted instances where elephants are  encroaching on farmland and the resultant elephant deaths follow come  whenever farmers feel their livelihoods are at risk.

Photo:  canazwest pictures

In Thailand, where the majority of the elephant population has been  domesticated, the pandemic is having a notable impact.  The  approximately 3,800 domesticated elephants in Thailand generally help  earn their keep as entertainment attractions but the arrangement has  created a dependency to be fed.  In their natural habit, their diet  consists of grasses, leaves, roots, the bark of trees, bushes, and some  cultivate food such as bananas, rice, and sugarcane. However, in camps,  lots of this food needs to be purchased.  In Thailand it costs  approximately $40 a day to feed an elephant; however, that is  substantially more than the daily minimum wage. Before the pandemic  tourism contributed 20 percent of Thailand’s gross domestic product, a  large part of which were drawn from Chinese visitors.  Now many of the  elephant camps have had to close down or reduce operations.  Operators  are faced with the choice of continuing to feed and house the elephants  until the tourists return, or simply releasing the elephants into the  wild. However, their natural habitat has become more infiltrated with  human presence making the ideal opportunity to release domesticated  elephants into the wild a tricky to come by.

Photo:  canazwest pictures

“Once an elephant is captured and trained the elephants develop a  bond with the handler,” says Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, a veterinarian,  and member of Project Elephant, a government-sponsored wildlife  conservation program.  “If you release captive elephants into the wild  there is a familiarity problem.  These animals, which are trained, have  no fear of fire, have no fear of the gunshot wounds or firecrackers.”

However, research has shown that domesticated elephants can thrive in  the wild, but the right terrain and assistance is required.  The goal  is to reduce human-elephant conflict and that requires breaking the  habit of human dependence.  The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation has  demonstrated that this is possible with the reintroduction of over a  hundred domesticated elephants into Doi Pha Muang Wildlife Sanctuary,  Sublangka Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mae Wa-Mae Wok National Park in  Thailand.  For some elephants reintroduction is easier than others,  interestingly it turns out a key factor in their reintroduction success  is associated with human perception of elephants.

Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, Sublangka Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand Photo:  canazwest pictures

In India, where Dr. Sarma is based, the human population continues to  suffer under pandemic conditions, but here elephants have fared  somewhat better than other countries.  The value placed on elephants by  Hindus, which make up 80% of the population, is underscored by a belief  that elephants are sacred.  “As a matter of principle, people revere  elephants and feel very bad when elephants suffer from starvation or  diseases, so they try to help because they are helping their god,”  explained Dr. Sarma.

As most working elephants return to their handlers’ home villages  they are welcomed into mostly forested territories where there is a rich  supply of greenery and even some fruit like bananas and jackfruit.  In  Indian, the majority of elephants are wild, which means there is less  unexpected human-elephant interaction than in other Asian countries and  perhaps more opportunity for newly released elephants to successfully  locate safe territories.  The challenge becomes whether or not the  elephants choose to remain near human settlements.  It is when the  human-elephant interactions become unmanageable that elephant deaths  really start to rise, and the recent economic stress placed on farmers  by the pandemic has only escalated the human-elephant tension.

If adapting to the human pandemic wasn’t enough of a challenge for  elephants, one group of them may be facing a crisis of their own.  In  July, Botswana’s ministry of environment, natural resources  conservation, and tourism advised that 356 elephants [1]have  died since March 2020 of an unknown cause.  Neither the tusks nor meat  had been removed from the animal carcasses, which meant that poaching or  hunting were unlikely causes of death.  There does remain a chance that  elephants were poisoned, but thus far biological samples sent to 3  international labs have not been able to identify anything.  Scavengers  of these carcasses, like vultures and hyenas, have equally shown no  signs of poisoning or disease.  These deaths may not be related to COVID  19; moreover, it could not be pathogenic at all.  There are simply not  enough clues available to identify a cause yet.  What can be said is  that COVID19 has impeded the investigation, as shipments of these  biological samples are hindered by the current pandemic restrictions in  place.

While it is well known that humans and elephants have a long history  together, it has come rather as a surprise to see that it is the absence  of humans that have had the most pressing impact on elephants’  welfare.  It appears even in times of crises human and elephant behavior  is closely intertwined.

Photo:  Michael Clark

Marguerite du Plessis is a biologist and science journalist with a  passion for nature. Her writing has covered developing science as it  impacts communities and opinion editorials for the outdoor enthusiast.

[1] Ministry of Environment, natural resource conservation, and tourism. (2020).  Elephant Morality in the Seronga Area: Frequently Asked Questions  [Press Release]. 15 July

[worldelephantday]

Elephants’ Uncertain Outlook

Photo:  Melanie Hittrich

How a human pandemic is disrupting the lives of elephants

Written by Marguerite du Plessis

When the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in early 2020, industries slowed, livelihoods changed, and humans around the world became housebound.  In doing so, we largely retreated from a century’s long expansion into natural habitats around the world, and this sudden shift in activity has led to unexpected consequences, including disruptions to the lives of several elephant populations.

As humans stepped inwards, some elephants stepped outwards.  Asian and African elephants who previously had their movements restricted to sanctuaries and wildlife reserves suddenly found themselves with fewer human conservation officers maintaining a watchful eye.  This has led to several examples of elephants modestly expanding their ranges in recent months.  In Asia, it also meant that elephants working in the logging or tourism industries no longer had to be subjected to daily labor. Sadly, these two examples appear to be relatively minor benefits, and they pale in comparison to the negative externalities that the human pandemic is having on pachyderms.

Photo:  Melanie Hittrich

For African elephants living in parks and sanctuaries, their safety is typically safeguarded by crews of rangers and caretakers, but with international tourism coming to a halt, important sources of revenue that would normally be invested into elephants are no longer coming in. Charities also play a vital role in supporting elephant conservation, but the economic conditions created by the pandemic are leading to fewer dollars being donated to these worthy causes.  With fewer resources available to invest in elephant protection, it seems inevitable that poachers will be emboldened in their actions and that the ivory trade will likely proliferate under these conditions.  Beyond poaching, for their tusks, there has also been an increase in hunting elephants for bushmeat.  Elephant meat presents an option for hungry locals who find themselves in economic hardship and facing their starvation.

In Asia, before the pandemic, the most significant threat to elephant populations was habitat loss due to expanding human settlement.  This has taken the form of agricultural expansion plus the construction of roads, canals, and fences that fragment elephant territory.  The result has been rising instances of human-elephant conflict, with elephants attempting to follow their ancient migratory routes then encountering crops and property along the way.  This has led to animosities, as well as human and elephant deaths.  During the pandemic, these major issues have not dissipated.  In fact, COVID 19 has indirectly led to increased elephant mobility.  This surge boosted instances where elephants are encroaching on farmland and the resultant elephant deaths follow come whenever farmers feel their livelihoods are at risk.

Photo:  canazwest pictures

In Thailand, where the majority of the elephant population has been domesticated, the pandemic is having a notable impact.  The approximately 3,800 domesticated elephants in Thailand generally help earn their keep as entertainment attractions but the arrangement has created a dependency to be fed.  In their natural habit, their diet consists of grasses, leaves, roots, the bark of trees, bushes, and some cultivate food such as bananas, rice, and sugarcane. However, in camps, lots of this food needs to be purchased.  In Thailand it costs approximately $40 a day to feed an elephant; however, that is substantially more than the daily minimum wage. Before the pandemic tourism contributed 20 percent of Thailand’s gross domestic product, a large part of which were drawn from Chinese visitors.  Now many of the elephant camps have had to close down or reduce operations.  Operators are faced with the choice of continuing to feed and house the elephants until the tourists return, or simply releasing the elephants into the wild. However, their natural habitat has become more infiltrated with human presence making the ideal opportunity to release domesticated elephants into the wild a tricky to come by.

Photo:  canazwest pictures

“Once an elephant is captured and trained the elephants develop a bond with the handler,” says Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, a veterinarian, and member of Project Elephant, a government-sponsored wildlife conservation program.  “If you release captive elephants into the wild there is a familiarity problem.  These animals, which are trained, have no fear of fire, have no fear of the gunshot wounds or firecrackers.”

However, research has shown that domesticated elephants can thrive in the wild, but the right terrain and assistance is required.  The goal is to reduce human-elephant conflict and that requires breaking the habit of human dependence.  The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation has demonstrated that this is possible with the reintroduction of over a hundred domesticated elephants into Doi Pha Muang Wildlife Sanctuary, Sublangka Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mae Wa-Mae Wok National Park in Thailand.  For some elephants reintroduction is easier than others, interestingly it turns out a key factor in their reintroduction success is associated with human perception of elephants.

Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, Sublangka Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand Photo:  canazwest pictures

In India, where Dr. Sarma is based, the human population continues to suffer under pandemic conditions, but here elephants have fared somewhat better than other countries.  The value placed on elephants by Hindus, which make up 80% of the population, is underscored by a belief that elephants are sacred.  “As a matter of principle, people revere elephants and feel very bad when elephants suffer from starvation or diseases, so they try to help because they are helping their god,” explained Dr. Sarma.

As most working elephants return to their handlers’ home villages they are welcomed into mostly forested territories where there is a rich supply of greenery and even some fruit like bananas and jackfruit.  In Indian, the majority of elephants are wild, which means there is less unexpected human-elephant interaction than in other Asian countries and perhaps more opportunity for newly released elephants to successfully locate safe territories.  The challenge becomes whether or not the elephants choose to remain near human settlements.  It is when the human-elephant interactions become unmanageable that elephant deaths really start to rise, and the recent economic stress placed on farmers by the pandemic has only escalated the human-elephant tension.

If adapting to the human pandemic wasn’t enough of a challenge for elephants, one group of them may be facing a crisis of their own.  In July, Botswana’s ministry of environment, natural resources conservation, and tourism advised that 356 elephants [1]have died since March 2020 of an unknown cause.  Neither the tusks nor meat had been removed from the animal carcasses, which meant that poaching or hunting were unlikely causes of death.  There does remain a chance that elephants were poisoned, but thus far biological samples sent to 3 international labs have not been able to identify anything.  Scavengers of these carcasses, like vultures and hyenas, have equally shown no signs of poisoning or disease.  These deaths may not be related to COVID 19; moreover, it could not be pathogenic at all.  There are simply not enough clues available to identify a cause yet.  What can be said is that COVID19 has impeded the investigation, as shipments of these biological samples are hindered by the current pandemic restrictions in place.

While it is well known that humans and elephants have a long history together, it has come rather as a surprise to see that it is the absence of humans that have had the most pressing impact on elephants’ welfare.  It appears even in times of crises human and elephant behavior is closely intertwined.

Photo:  Michael Clark

Marguerite du Plessis is a biologist and science journalist with a passion for nature. Her writing has covered developing science as it impacts communities and opinion editorials for the outdoor enthusiast.

[1] Ministry of Environment, natural resource conservation, and tourism. (2020).  Elephant Morality in the Seronga Area: Frequently Asked Questions  [Press Release]. 15 July

[don-lichterman]

New Jersey library book returned 75 years past due date

New Jersey library book returned 75 years past due date

Odd News // 17 hours ago World Elephant Day promotes protection of pachyderms Aug. 12 (UPI) — World Elephant Day, marked annually on Aug. 12, was founded by filmmaker Patricia Sims and Thailand's Elephant Reintroduction Foundation to promote … Source link

[johnnyslittleanimalblog]

5 Easy Ways to Help This World Elephant Day

On August 12, World Elephant Day, animal lovers around the world will come together to celebrate elephants and support a future where they’re respected and protected.

World Elephant day was launched in 2012 by Canadian documentary filmmaker Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand. On the same day, Sims’ film “Return to the Forest“ premiered, exploring the journey and beautiful transformation that takes place when captive elephants are returned to their natural home.

HOW TO HELP

This year elephant advocates will again step up to raise awareness about the plight of captive and wild elephants by hosting and attending events, urging officials to take action to protect elephants and using social media to gain support. And there are many easy ways to contribute to these efforts.

1. DON’T BUY IVORY

As the second largest market for ivory behind China, the U.S. has been called on by wildlife advocates to step up efforts to tackle wildlife trafficking with meaningful action. In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service instituted a near-total ban on commercial trade of African elephant ivory, aiming to eliminate the domestic market.

It should go without saying, but even legal ivory and antique items keep the market afloat and help provide a cover for the illegal trade of ivory from recently killed elephants. So if you happen to come across any items containing ivory, check out your legal options here.

2. SUPPORT ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES

Learn about and support organizations working to give captive elephants a better life by returning them to natural environments like the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and Elephant Nature Park in Thailand and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Africa. In the U.S., check out the Elephant Sanctuary and the Performing Animal Welfare Society.

3. BE A VOICE FOR CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS

While more and more areas are banning the use of wild animals in circuses — Ringling Bros. took a big step by announcing it would retire its elephant performers – there are still other traveling shows around the world that continue to use elephants.

We can send a strong message that it’s time to stop by avoiding companies and venues that continue to use them by speaking out for elephants like Nosey, who desperately need to be retired. Consider signing this Care2 petition asking Congress to pass the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act, which would ban the use of wild animals in circuses for good.

We can also help give a voice to captive elephants who need help, like those in the Bronx Zoo and the Oregon Zoo.

4. BOYCOTT ELEPHANT RIDES

While riding an elephant may seem like a fun and exotic experience, it often promotes animal cruelty — and can even fuel poaching. Next time you’re planning to travel to elephant habitat, consider visiting a sanctuary or wildlife preserve instead. Join more than 140,000 Care2 members in asking Lonely Planet to stop promoting elephant rides in its travel books.

5. SPREAD THE WORD  

If you’d like to raise awareness about elephants on social media, check out World Elephant day for badges and banners to share and add the following hashtags to your posts: #WorldElephantDay #GoGrey #BeHerd #Elegram #SaveElephants #JoinTheSTAMPede #96Elephants and #SayNoToIvory.

For more info on ways to help elephants and support organizations working to resolve conflicts and stop poaching, visit World Elephant Day.

5 Easy Ways to Help This World Elephant Day #care2 http://www.care2.com/causes/5-easy-ways-to-help-this-world-elephant-day.html …

[msenvironment-blog]

Government launches nationwide campaign Gaj Yatra to protect elephants.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, launched ‘Gaj Yatra’ here today, a nationwide campaign to protect elephants on the occasion of World Elephant Day. The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states.

Flash Points:

      The Environment Minister released the All India Census 2017 Report on elephants as also the Agreed Points of Action on Trans-Boundary Conservation of Elephants by India and Bangladesh and a document titled ‘Right of Passage’ on elephant corridors in India.

       A compilation, ‘Glimpses of Initiatives Taken for Elephant Conservation in India (2012-2017) based on Parliamentary Questions and Replies’ by ENVIS Centre, WWF-India and the Project Elephant Division, MoEF&CC, was also released. The publication covers the concerned environmental issues in the form of a compact disc, which can serve as a ready reference source for scientists, policy-makers, technocrats and others concerned with the cause of conservation and sustainable development.

      The Director-General Forest and Special Secretary, MoEF&CC, Shri Siddhanta Das, Director, Project Elephant, Shri R.K Shrivastav, Director, Wildlife Trust of India, Shri Vivek Menon and Prof R. Sukumar also addressed the gathering.

      During the period of the campaign, artists and craftsmen will create life-size works on the theme of elephants in places along the route of the roadshow, covering 12 states that have wild elephants, using local art and craft.

       Specially fabricated vehicles will be deployed to display these on pre-determined routes with campaigners.      

 The ‘Gaju’ mascot, which was released by the Ministry in 2012, will be helm the campaign. The campaign will be led by the Wildlife Trust of India.

      Actor and wildlife enthusiast, Ms. Dia Mirza, participated in the walk and run event organised on the occasion along with the children.

WORLD ELEPHANT DAY: BRIEF BACKGROUND

       World Elephant Day is an annual global event celebrated across the world on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of elephants.

      The goal of World Elephant Day is to create awareness about the plight of elephants and to share knowledge and positive solutions for the better care and management of captive and wild elephants.

      African elephants are listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

       As per the available population estimates, there are about 400,000 African elephants and 40,000 Asian elephants.

       World Elephant Day is celebrated to focus the attention of various stakeholders in supporting various conservation policies to help protect elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent illegal poaching and trade in ivory, conserving elephant habitats, providing better treatment for captive elephants and reintroducing captive elephants into sanctuaries.

      The elephant is part of India’s animal heritage and the Government celebrates this day to spread awareness about the conservation of the species.

       Though a nation-wide population census exercise for elephants is conducted every five years, this is the first time than an all-India synchronised elephant census was carried out one year in advance, to avoid errors in estimation arising from the significant movement of elephants across different states.

       The field operations of the census were completed in May 2017 and data has been compiled on direct count, indirect count (dung count), waterhole and salt lick observations. Elephant distribution mapping has also been done.

       World Elephant Day was conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Ms. Patricia Sims and Mr. Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures and the Secretary- General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, Sivaporn Dardarananda.

      It was officially funded, supported and launched by Ms. Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012.

      Since then, Ms. Sims continues to lead and direct World Elephant Day, which is now supported by over 65 wildlife organisations and many individuals in several countries across the globe.