Today is a perfect day to stop and reflect and give thanks to Elephanatics great Team!
Together we have made a significant impact on the preservation of #elephants and #wildlife through a concerted team effort. Thank you for your continued ‘elephantastic’ work and commitment to our natural world.
The sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is taking place in Cali in Columbia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024. Canada’s Kunming-Montreal Declaration aims to set ambitious goals to halt the loss of biodiversity, promote sustainable development, and enhance global environment efforts by 2030. Elephanatics has written letters and sent emails to the Ministers of Environment and Climate Change and MP’s across Canada asking that they support the merits of a global agreement in the form of an additional protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Crime (UNTOC) to strengthen the international legal framework to tackle illegal wildlife trade. Because the illegal wildlife trade is so interconnected with biodiversity loss, a global agreement is the next logical step to take.
We hope you consider writing your MP to support our ask. Find a pre-written letter here (featured Item)
Find your MP here
See our communication below:
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The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P., Minister of Environment and Climate Change, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
via email: Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca
cc:
Hon. Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs melanie.joly@parl.gc.ca
Hon. Arif Virani, P.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada arif.virani@parl.gc.ca
September 18, 2024
Dear Minister Guilbeault,
Please see attached letter sent to you March 7, 2024, in reference to strengthening the international legal framework to tackle the illegal wildlife trade by considering the merits of a global agreement in the form of an additional protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Crime (UNTOC). Despite the scale and impact of IWT – one of the largest illegal markets in the world – a global agreement covering this topic still does not exist.
The sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is taking place in Cali in Columbia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024. Canada’s Kunming-Montreal Declaration aims to set ambitious goals to halt the loss of biodiversity, promote sustainable development, and enhance global environment efforts by 2030. Because the illegal wildlife trade is a direct threat to biodiversity the inclusion of a new protocol under UNTOC in the form of a global agreement needs to be considered seriously as part of the Kunming-Montreal framework to curb biodiversity loss. A protocol under UNTOC would show a strong commitment in working with partners to help curb the illegal wildlife trade and would also help bring other countries up to Canadian standards for wildlife trade.
TARGET 4: Halt Species Extinction, Protect Genetic Diversity, and Manage Human-Wildlife Conflicts
“Ensure urgent management actions to halt human induced extinction of known threatened species and for the recovery and conservation of species, in particular threatened species, to significantly reduce extinction risk, as well as to maintain and restore the genetic diversity within and between populations of native, wild and domesticated species to maintain their adaptive potential, including through in situ and ex situ conservation and sustainable management practices, and effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to minimize human-wildlife conflict for coexistence.”
(q) “Enhanced collaboration, cooperation and synergies between the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols, other biodiversity-related conventions, other relevant multilateral agreements and international organizations and processes, in line with their respective mandates, including at the global, regional, subregional and national levels, would contribute to and promote the implementation of the Framework in a more efficient and effective manner;”
The illegal wildlife trade imperils biodiversity, contributes to climate change, creates economic instability in communities and is responsible for global pandemics. The way forward is to unify and collaborate with similar organizations and partners to thwart biodiversity loss.
Once again, we ask that you consider a new protocol under the UNTOC in the form of a global agreement to strengthen the international legal framework to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P., Minister of Environment and Climate Change, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 via email: Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca
cc: Hon. Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs melanie.joly@parl.gc.ca Hon. Arif Virani, P.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada arif.virani@parl.gc.ca
March 7, 2024
Dear Minister Guibeault,
A coalition of organizations co-signed a letter written by the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, addressing the need to strengthen the international legal framework to tackle the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), and was sent to you on 7 September 2023, asking for ways to better understand Canada’s views on how best to tackle wildlife trafficking at the international level. I am following up and have added more points to the initial letter sent by Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime and coalition to further support our request.
Despite the scale and impact of IWT – one of the largest illegal markets in the world – a global agreement covering this topic still does not exist. We are writing to ask you to support this initiative by considering the merits of a global agreement, taking the form of an additional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). As stated in theletter:
“The size and scale of wildlife trafficking is truly a global challenge and one that demands urgent action. The value of illegal trade has been estimated at between $7 and $23 billion per year.” A report by FINTRAC acknowledges, “illegal wildlife trade not only affects Canada, but poses a serious threat internationally”. Canada has signaled that this is a priority issue to address, both at home and abroad, and we were pleased to see that the mandate letter released by the Prime Minister on 16 December 2021, included a commitment for Canada to “work with partners to curb illegal wildlife trade”.
In the same mandate letter, the Canadian Government mandated an end to the elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn trade in Canada. We were very pleased to see these regulations enacted 20 November 2023. It is now time to deliver on the third item in this part of the mandate letter : new actions to combat the illegal wildlife trade.
Additionally, in December 2023, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released an updated report containing the views of 73 States and the European Union on the potential of an additional Protocol to the UNTOC covering wildlife trafficking. UNODC did not produce an analysis of the report, but the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime – at the request of Angola – did and concluded that around 78% of the responding States are either in favour of a Protocol or open to discussing it: PRESS-RELEASE-07-DEC-UN-report-shows-clear-majority-of-States-now-favour-a-new-global-agreement-against-wildlife-trafficking-.pdf (endwildlifecrime.org)
February marked the 10th anniversary of a declaration signed by Canada and 41 other countries at the first London conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, 2014, to implement actions to:
(1) improve law enforcement, (2) improve legal frameworks against IWT (3) reduce demand for illegal wildlife and (4) support alternative livelihoods.
Beyond Canada’s commitment of a $2 million donation in emergency funding to combat illegal wildlife trade activities in East and Central Africa, and the recent ban of elephant ivory and rhino horn along with the import of hunting trophies containing these parts, have there been further measures Canada has put into place to support the declaration signed at the London Conference?
Canada is putting together its action plan for the Global Biodiversity Framework to show action on Kunming-Montréal convention prior to CoP 16 in the fall. Because the illegal wildlife trade is a direct threat to biodiversity the inclusion of a new protocol under UNTOC would be proactive to add to its strategy on how best to curb biodiversity loss.
A protocol under UNTOC would also help bring other countries up to Canadian standards for wildlife trade.
As Minister of Environment and Climate Change, you have an important role to play in the future of our planet and the wildlife that we are intrinsically tied to for our own survival. The illegal wildlife trade undermines governance, corrupts and weakens security within a country as well as threatens its economies and biodiversity.It is imperative we end wildlife trafficking to cease the destruction of global biodiversity, help mitigate climate change, avoid future pandemics, and protect communities and economies that are reliant on the use of sustainable natural resources.
Supporting a global agreement in the form of an additional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) would show a strong commitment in working with partners to help curb the illegal wildlife trade.Thank you for your attention to this request.
It’s Back To School and we have some great news for all educators!
Elephanatics and Mara Elephant Project are offering educators a unique opportunity to invite via Zoom a Mara Elephant Project ranger or researcher into your classroom. Students will have the chance to interact with a Kenyan conservationist and learn more about the work they are doing to protect elephants and their habitats in the Greater Mara Ecosystem.
Go to link below to book your spot today and share with fellow friends, teachers and educators!
Greetings fellow elephant lovers! We hope you are enjoying summer and finding time to get outside and explore the many wonders of nature. We have some good news for elephants this report and many ways you can participate to join us in helping them. Thank you for continuing to support elephants!
Celebrating the 13th Annual World Elephant Day |August 12th, 2024
Photo cr. Patricia Sims
Join us in celebrating the 13th annual World Elephant Day (WED), founded by Canadian conservationist and filmmaker, Patricia Sims. WED is globally recognized for elephant conservation organizations to bring awareness to their conservation programs that protect elephants and their habitats – a very important day to fundraise to support respective elephant conservation initiatives.
Patricia’s trip will help to further develop the relationships WED has with these organizations and continue to build upon the growing importance of the annual World Elephant Day campaign to bring global attention to the critical issues that threaten the future survival of elephants by educating the public about the solutions that these organizations are undertaking to help mitigate these threats – and how people can help.
Stay tuned for more information on Patricia’s planned activities in Kenya by following World Elephant Day here.
Meet the New Class of Fran Duthie Scholarship Participants 2024
Inaugurated in 2022, the Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship has supported Janeth Jepkemboi, the inaugural recipient, who is now completing her MSC in Environmental Studies. This year four more eager students are recipients of the award helping to ensure that Kenyan youth are leading conservation efforts in their country. Read more about the recipients and join us in celebrating World Elephant Day by donating to the Fran Duthie Scholarship here.
Elephanatics Continues Its Advocacy Efforts
The recent killing of five big tuskers along the Kenyan Tanzanian border, breaking a 30-year moratorium, has roused global concern. With as few as 50 big tuskers alive in Africa these elephants are critically important for stability in elephant societies, their habitats, and ecosystems. Elephanatics has sent a letter to Minister Stephen Guilbeault asking to use Canada’s international influence, and powers of collaboration to protect these few remaining tuskers. Read letter here.
A coalition of organizations co-signed a letter written by the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, September 2023, addressing the need to strengthen the international legal framework to tackle the illegal wildlife trade (IWT). Elephanatics has since written letters to Members of Parliament across Canada and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Stephen Guilbeault, to follow up on our ask and to encourage MPs to speak with Minister Guilbeault and other members of Parliament to address this issue as a matter of urgency. A global agreement taking the form of an additional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is urgently required to provide an international legal framework that will address the multi-billion-dollar illegal wildlife trade. Read letter here.
NEW EDUCATION RESOURCE!
Bring a Wildlife Ranger or Researcher into Your Classroom
Elephanatics and Mara Elephant Project are offering educators a unique opportunity to invite via Zoom a Mara Elephant Project ranger or researcher into your classroom. Students will have the chance to interact with a Kenyan conservationist and learn more about the work they are doing to protect elephants and their habitats in the Greater Mara Ecosystem. This is a completely free opportunity to global educators – Book your session here.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P., Minister of Environment and Climate Change, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 via email: Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca
cc:
Hon. Mary NG, P.C., M.P., Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development – mary.ng@parl.gc.ca Hon. Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs – melanie.joly@parl.gc.ca Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, P.C. M.P., Minister of Energy and natural Resources – jonathan.wilkinson@parl.gc.ca Christopher Thornley, High Commissioner for Canada to the Republic of Kenya – nairobi@international.gc.ca
July 12th, 2024
Dear Minister Guilbeault,
Elephanatics, a Vancouver based elephant advocacy organization and co-leader of the Ivory-Free-Canada campaign, thanks you and your team, again, for implementing regulations to end the trade of elephant ivory and rhino horn in Canada.
As you know, elephants are a highly endangered keystone species that are not only emotionally intelligent but central to maintaining vibrant local biodiversity and ecosystems. While the Canadian ivory ban is essential to their protection, the threats facing elephants are multiple and, unfortunately, ongoing.
Recently, a thirty-year moratorium protecting elephants along the Kenyan and Tanzanian border has ended with the killing of 5 large male tuskers. Elephants along this border travel historic migratory routes which are now endangering them.
These elephants, also known as “Super Tuskers”, are male elephants with at least one tusk weighing 100 pounds (45kg). It is believed that there are as few as 50 left in Africa. They are critically important for stability in elephant societies and their habitats and ecosystems.
Dr Joyce Poole, co-founder and Scientific Director of ElephantVoices, says, “Fifty years of research on Amboseli’s known individuals has shown that males between 35 and 55 years of age are the primary breeders. Hunters who claim that older males are “dead wood” are just plain ignorant of the science. Males who are given the chance to live to an old age produce a disproportionate number of offspring, passing their genes to the next generation. By killing large tusked males hunters are damaging elephant society, negatively impacting Amboseli’s rare gene pool for large tusks and taking a toll on its future tourism potential.”
Canada has played a leading role in the protection of wildlife and biodiversity and at COP15 participants agreed to the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, a historic global framework to safeguard nature and halt and reverse biodiversity loss, putting nature on a path to recovery by 2050.
COP15 focused on protecting nature and halting biodiversity loss around the world. The Government of Canada’s priority was to ensure the COP15 was a success for nature.
We are asking that Canada use its international influence, powers of collaboration and voice to advocate for the following:
Review and amend current wildlife hunting regulations to protect critically important elephants by restricting hunts in areas where these tusker elephants roam.
Implement a formal buffer zone near the Kenya- Tanzania border safeguarding the transboundary elephant population, recognizing their significant ecological economic and symbolic value.
Enhance conservation efforts and promote ecotourism as sustainable alternatives that can support community development without sacrificing invaluable wildlife.
Elephant Voices, Big Life Foundation and the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, released a statement appealing for “an end to elephant trophy hunting in the Enduimet Area of Tanzania”. We add our voice to the growing alarm over the hunting of these few remaining tuskers.
As we enter another summer of record breaking heat , storms, and wildfires, the global commitment to preserving our planet’s magnificent and indispensable ecosystems is more urgent than ever.
As elephants are a highly endangered species, we ask that you act with urgency to address this matter.
📣 Congratulations 📣 to the four new recipients chosen for the Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship! 🎓
If you wish to support the next generation of wildlife conservationists in Kenya visit the Mara Elephant Project donate page and leave a note that it is for the scholarship.
Our future lies in their hands!
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The Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship overseen by Mara Elephant Project launched in 2022 provides financial assistance to Kenyans pursuing conservation or related fields through a technical certificate, undergraduate or postgraduate degree. The inaugural recipient Janeth Jepkemboi is completing her MSc in Environmental Studies after spending time at MEP HQ in the first quarter, and now a new group of students is eager to follow her lead as the next recipients of the scholarship. After a thorough selection process, we are pleased to introduce the four new students receiving the Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship.
Greetings Fellow Elephants! Spring is almost here. Let’s celebrate the warmer temperatures and some great elephant news!
Mark your calendars!
Don’t miss the Vancouver premiere of “Elephant Warriors”
Roberta Staley, an award winning journalist, has written and produced a documentary called ‘Elephant Warriors’ based on the women rangers at Mara Elephant Project in Kenya. Female conservation rangers are asserting themselves at the vanguard of wildlife conservation and gender equality in Kenya, helping to save the endangered African elephant. Don’t miss this premiere!
Date: April 16th
Time: 6:00 pm tbc
Location: Rothstein Theater | Jewish Community Centre 950 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Check out our revised Education Section! Share Share Share with Educators / Teachers / Home Schools
New Lesson Plans to include Nearpod!
What is Nearpod? It’s a hybrid learning tool that intuitively combines multimedia learning with digital assessments for use in class and beyond.
With Nearpod, you can move from passive to active learning by adding Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips, Interactive Videos, and simulations to drive connections and encourage participation through exploration while embedding questions that spark critical thinking and creativity.
The Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship 2024 is now open for applications!
Administered by Mara Elephant Project, this scholarship supports students pursuing conservation or a related field. This scholarship provides financial support to Kenyan nationals acquiring a technical certificate, undergraduate or postgraduate degree in an area related to conservation and the protection of wildlife. Alongside the financial support, this scholarship provides practical experience.
Click here to learn more about Janeth, the first recipient of the scholarship.
Fourth UN Protocol Needed to Strengthen the International Legal Framework to Tackle the Illegal Wildlife Trade
Elephanatics and a coalition of organizations recently co-signed a letter written by the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, addressing the need to strengthen the international legal framework to tackle the illegal wildlife trade (IWT). The letter, sent to Canada’s Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, asks Canada to support this much needed Framework. Wildlife trafficking demands urgent action. The value of illegal trade has been estimated at between $7 and $23 billion per year. A report by FINTRAC acknowledges that “illegal wildlife trade not only affects Canada, but poses a serious threat internationally.” Read more here.
“Poacher” movie release available on Amazon Prime!
Richie Metha, award-winning director and friend of World Elephant Day, released his crime thriller series “Poacher”, on Amazon Prime. “Poacher” dramatizes the true story of the elephant poaching and wildlife crime in India, and portrays the heroic work of the people working undercover to stop it. Watch “Poacher”, you’ll be shocked and amazed, it’s an excellent portrayal of the shadowy world of wildlife crime and a wake up call on the urgent need to stop this senseless killing of elephants and wildlife before it’s too late. Here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPUnJbAHdCA
Art for Wildlife
We are very pleased to showcase the inspiring work of Shelly Steck Reale, a Florida-based ceramic artist who uses her talent to spotlight environmental and wildlife conservation. Shelly’s exceptional artistic talents shine through in her dedication to shedding light on the critical issues of environmental degradation and its profound impact on wildlife and habitat conservation. Her award-winning creations, featured in Tampa Bay galleries, spark us to reflect on and question our cultural, societal, and political beliefs, prompting us to consider what our inaction may be taking away from our children and future generations. I invite you to explore her compelling art and support her mission at: https://thelastoftheirkind.com/.
Please consider sharing or purchasing Shelly’s work to support her mission and help make a positive impact globally.
The Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship (Elephanatics) overseen by Mara Elephant Project launched in 2022 with the inaugural recipient Janeth Jepkemboi starting her MSc in Environmental Studies in September 2022 at Karatina University.
Now in her second, and final year, of the program, she’s focusing on her thesis. Janeth began her research internship at MEP HQ last week and is working on gathering the evidence needed to defend her thesis. Beyond completing her thesis work, Janeth has been learning about the work of MEP’s long-term monitoring team, and the suite of tools used for data collection and analysis, and we even had her join a visitor group. Thank you to every donor who has supported the scholarship fund, especially Fran and Lorne Duthie, for making it all possible.
As Janeth says, “the scholarship brought a renewed motivation to continue making a positive impact in the field of conservation, coupled with a heightened sense of responsibility to maximize the opportunities it presents,” and we look forward to extending this opportunity again in 2024.
You can donate to either Mara Elephant Project or Elephanatics for this scholarship. Be sure to stipulate where you want your money to go in the donate section. Thank you.
This year has proven to be our best yet with the historic ban of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn being passed in Canada. We all worked very hard to make this happen and we couldn’t have done it without your huge support. Our #IvoryFreeCanada campaign and petition set the stage for success! We thank you!
We look forward to celebrating further accomplishments in the future for elephants.
Wishing you all the very best for the holiday season!
On November 20th , 2023 the Canadian Government passed the ban on domestic trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn, as well as the import of hunting trophies containing these parts. The landmark measures fulfill a 2021 Ministerial mandate and are a critical step in protecting these iconic species. Canada now joins the UK, France, China, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Belgium, Luxembourg, the EU, and nearly every state in the United States who has closed or has severe restrictions on their ivory markets.
Fran Duthie, Elephanatics founder and President says “The team at Elephanatics is thrilled that regulations to ban the elephant ivory and rhino horn trade, along with the import of trophy hunts and their parts, are to be enacted by the Canadian Government. We would like to thank all our supporters, our coalition partners, conservationists, scientists, politicians, volunteers, journalists, and people who worked tirelessly to make this happen. From the petition created by the Ivory Free Canada coalition that reached over 700,000 signatures, showing overwhelming support to save elephants and rhinos, to endless advocacy, to the collaboration of like minds working together to save a species, our mission has come to fruition. It is a time to be grateful and to celebrate this grand achievement. We did it!” Read more here.
This holiday season, please consider making a donation to the Fran Duthie African Elephant scholarship, distributed by Mara Elephant Project, to create more opportunities for Kenyan students pursuing a career in conservation. To learn more, click here. To donate, click here.
The #HolidaysAreComing! Get your 20% discount on ALL our merchandise until Dec 25th. Whether it’s for the holiday season or another celebration, we have a gift for you. Your purchase goes towards the conservation of saving elephants and wildlife in Africa.
Thanks again for your support. Together we have made a vital difference for elephants and rhinos and together we can continue to ensure that they have a bright future ahead.
Wishing you and yours all the very best for a happy, healthy, prosperous, holiday season and New Year ahead.
