Elephanatics
Elephants and the COVID-19 Pandemic
APR 2, 2020 — #IvoryFreeCanada Petition Update
Hello Kind Supporters,
We are urging people to consider helping their favorite elephant organization during this time of crisis. The economic fallout from this crisis is affecting everyone and everything. African and Asian sanctuaries and rescue organizations are not immune. It is a hard time for all, but animals tend to suffer the greatest consequences when times are tough.
Realizing even a LITTLE can help a LOT, and the psychological effect of feeling better by giving back, has huge positive implications for all concerned.
Pandemic 2020 – Even more reason to close the trade in wildlife
Please sign and share this important petition demanding the World Health Organisation permanently closes wildlife (wet) markets around the world, or cut and paste: https://www.change.org/p/world-health-organisation-who-is-responsible-for-the-covid-19-global-pandemic
As the news continues to update us on the ongoing crisis facing us all, it is time to focus on the positive steps taken to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We need to honour the health care professionals and front line workers subjecting themselves daily to a war that is invisible and deadly. It is with prudence and subjugation that we will win this battle. Listening to the experts and staying vigilant to the rules of social distancing and washing hands is mandatory. It is through difficult times a light we had been searching for, can suddenly appear. Positive outcomes and new opportunities arise to change the fabric of our society and cultural beliefs for the better. Change is necessary and immediate.
Countries such as China have taken action and shut down their wildlife trade. This is good news, for the most part. We can only hope this ban will stay in effect for the long term and that other countries will close their wildlife markets for the benefit of both humans and animals. The link between wet markets and illegal wildlife trade is synonymous with the trade in elephant ivory and is cohesive in effect.
To help the wet markets stay closed please sign this important petition.
The Coronavirus or COVID-19 epidemic has prompted China to permanently ban the trade of wild animals as food, but, unfortunately, not for medicinal use. Pangolins are suspected as a potential Coronavirus host but it has not yet been determined exactly what has caused COVID-19. The decision to ban the trade in wildlife, however, does not ban trade for fur, medicine or research.
“This creates potential loopholes for traffickers who may exploit the non-food exemptions to sell or trade live wildlife,” stated Wildlife Conservation Society. There is a large trade in wildlife that is not related to consumption. Traditional Chinese Medicine is controlled by the government and pangolin scales are used widely in this medicine, which leaves room for illegal activity to take place due to the loophole in the ban.
Daniel Challender, a researcher at the University of Oxford said: “The new decision made clear that there was going to be a clampdown on pangolin meat, but attempts to breed pangolins for medicinal purposes appear to be exempt.”
Professor Andrew Cunningham, Deputy Director of Science at the Zoological Society of London, states, “Live wild animal markets are ideal places for zoonotic virus emergence to occur. The highest priority for the protection of human health is, therefore, to ban markets and regulate any future wildlife trade.”
We are thankful to China for banning the trade of wild animals as food, but further restrictions are necessary to prevent illegal trade. Viruses will continue to emerge and devastate animal populations and humans if we don’t act quickly to eliminate further loopholes that continually perpetuate the problem.
We can do this – but more so – We HAVE to do this.
We ask that you please continue to sign and share both petitions and, if possible, donate. www.change.org/IvoryFreeCanada
www.change.org/p/world-health-organisation-who-is-responsible-for-the-covid-19-global-pandemic
#ThankYouForYourSupport #StaySafe
The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition
Donation Recipient #1: MandaLao Elephant Conservation
Donation Recipient #1: MandaLao Elephant Conservation
Once known as “The Land of One Million Elephants”, Laos now has just 700 wild and 400 captive elephants. The decline was due to logging (now illegal), a reduced natural habitat, and poaching. MandaLao, the only chain-free project in Laos, provides a loving home to 13 elephants that were taken from the wild to be used for logging. The center also offers medical care to other captive elephants, promotes positive reinforcement training, and develops conservation strategies to support wild elephants.
Laos has closed its borders due to COVID-19 so MandaLao is without tourists, and therefore an income. Elephanatics’ $2000 donation will feed 4 elephants for a month, including Mahn and Moen (below), a mother and daughter who were reunited by MandaLao after being apart for 9 years.
Just a half hour’s drive from Luang Prabang, MandaLao normally offers 4 elephant experiences, including walking with them in the forest. They are very grateful to you for donating. Learn about the complex relationship between Mahn and her mahout Vee in the mini-doc “The Last Mahout” at www.mandalaotours.com/about.
Elephanatics Donates to 3 Asian Elephant Sanctuaries amid COVID-19
Elephanatics is excited to announce that it will be assisting three Asian elephant sanctuaries in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many sanctuaries are struggling to feed their elephants due to the shortage of tourists and volunteers. We have carefully chosen three to receive CAD$2,000 each:
Kulen Elephant Forest – Cambodia
MandaLao Elephant Conservation – Laos
Wildlife Friends Foundation – Thailand
We have waited for over a year for an appropriate rescue opportunity to arise. The chances of one during the epidemic are even slimmer. We decided the donations many of you kindly gave, should go to several elephants which do in fact need rescuing in this time of peril. We are essentially helping three sanctuaries and I suspect most of you would agree this is the right thing to do at this time.
There will be future opportunities to rescue an elephant from the tourist industry.
Watch for upcoming posts about each sanctuary in the next few days. We thank you again for your kind donations and wish you all to stay safe.
Elephanatics March 2020 Newsletter
Please read and share our Spring 2020 Newsletter.
https://mailchi.mp/802c76a68cf0/we-have-tons-of-exciting-news-to-share-4077641
Ivory-Free Canada coalition condemns Toronto Sportsman’s Show…
MONTREAL – At a time when African nations are contending with an elephant poaching crisis that has caused devastating population declines, it has come to light that the annual Toronto Sportsmen’s Show continues to allow three vendors to sell elephant trophy hunting excursions that further threaten these magnificent animals. The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition, a partnership of Canadian non-profit organizations, including Humane Society International/Canada, the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, World Elephant Day, Elephanatics, and the Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, are calling on organizers to drop these outfitters from the event, and demand the Canadian Government take immediate action in banning the import, domestic sale, and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies.
Recently The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition helped to thwart the Calgary chapter of Safari Club International from auctioning off an elephant hunt in Botswana. This latest exposition includes three vendors attempting to profit from African elephant trophy hunting.
Michael Bernard, Deputy Director – HSI/Canada, stated: ” Elephants suffer horribly in trophy hunts. They are shot and left in agony for extended periods of time, they die painfully, and their social groups are disrupted, all to produce trophies for wealthy hunters who enjoy killing for fun. There is nothing sporting about the destruction of animals already contending with the devastating impacts of ivory poaching. In Canada, we are calling for a federal ban on elephant ivory trade, which would prevent hunters from bringing ivory tusks back to Canada, and remove a major incentive for elephant trophy hunting. In the meantime, this event should certainly respect Canadian values by excluding such exhibits.”
Fran Duthie, President of Elephanatics, added: “Science shows trophy hunting causes physiological and psychological effects to elephants. It increases their stress levels, which has led to aggressive behaviour towards humans and communication breakdown within their social structure. The long-term impact of ‘traumatic conservation’ methods on elephants is evident and needs to end”.
Patricia Sims, Founder of World Elephant Day and President – World Elephant Society, also stated: “The trophy hunting of elephants is atrocious and unnecessary, and hurts their vulnerable populations. Elephants are a vital keystone species, they are the caretakers of their habitats and climate change mitigators in their role of maintaining biodiversity. Killing elephants ultimately destroys habitats and Canada needs to take a stand now to ban elephant ivory and protect elephants for their survival and the health of our planet.”
Heather Craig, Co-Founder and President Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, stated: “The world woke up to the horrific practice of trophy hunting in 2015 when Cecil the lion was killed by an American trophy hunter. Despite global outrage, hundreds of elephants and rhinos are killed every year. It is beyond our comprehension that the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show continues to allow outfitters to sell hunting trips, contributing further to a declining wildlife population.”
A staggering 20,000 African elephants are killed each year. Scientists anticipate they will be extinct in the wild within 20 years if threats continue. While poaching is the main threat to elephants, legal trophy hunting only exacerbates the threat and drives up the demand for elephant ivory.
Both the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Flora and Fauna (CITES) and members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have asked all countries to ban their domestic trade of ivory to save elephants. At least nine countries and 10 US states have done so. At the last IUCN Congress, Canada – along with Japan, Namibia and South Africa – refused to support the motion on domestic ivory trade bans.
Over 100 African elephant tusks were imported into Canada as hunting trophies over the past decade, according to the data Canada reported to CITES in its annual trade reports. Yet exporting countries reported that over 300 African elephant tusks were exported to Canada in this same time period. The reason for the discrepancy is unknown.
In order to press the Canadian government into action, the Ivory-Free Canada Coalition launched a petition to ban elephant ivory and hunting trophies at change.org/ivoryfreecanada. With over 540,000 signatures, it is one of the largest Canadian petitions on Change.org for 2019. The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition has been actively campaigning on this issue since 2016 and will continue to do so until a ban is put in place.
For interviews and/or more information, please call or email the media contact below
Media contact: Christopher Paré, director of communications, HSI/Canada – office: 514-395-2914 x 206, cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org
The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition is a partnership of non-profit organizations petitioning the Canadian government to ban the import, domestic trade and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies. The coalition includes Elephanatics, Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, World Elephant Day, Humane Society International/Canada and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. Sign the Petition: www.change.org/ivoryfreecanada
Press Release: Botswana’s First Elephant Hunt to be Auctioned in Canada
Botswana’s First Elephant Hunt to be Auctioned in Canada
Canada shockingly still allows elephant ivory trade
VANCOUVER January 22, 2020 – Amid global recognition of the threatened survival of elephants, a hunting club in Calgary is poised to auction off the first licence for a foreigner to hunt elephant in Botswana. The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition, a partnership of Canadian non-profit organisations, including: Humane Society International/Canada, Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, World Elephant Day, Elephanatics, and the Global March for Elephants and Rhino-Toronto, has petitioned the federal government for two years to ban the import, domestic sale, and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies.
The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition believes a full elephant ivory ban in Canada is more important than ever, as the Calgary chapter of Safari Club International is shockingly set to award the elephant hunt to the highest bidder at their 27th Annual Fundraiser on January 25 (provided the bid is over $84,000 CAD). Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi lifted a ban on elephant hunting in May last year, inciting worldwide outrage. He previously gifted stools made from elephant feet to regional leaders during a meeting to discuss the animals’ fate. The ban was installed six years ago by Ian Khama, Botswana’s previous president.
Michael Bernard, Deputy Director – HSI/Canada, stated: “It is absolutely appalling that in this day and age Canada is still complicit with the slaughter of elephants for trophies. We are urgently calling on the Canadian Government to ban all trade in elephant ivory and end Canada’s role in further endangering these magnificent creatures.”
Fran Duthie, President of Elephanatics, added: “Statistics have shown large-tusked elephants are in decline and need to be protected from trophy hunting and poaching. With the increase in illegal trade in ivory the need to ban trophy hunting is even more necessary.”
Patricia Sims, Founder of World Elephant Day and President – World Elephant Society, also stated: “The trophy hunting of elephants is atrocious and needs to be banned worldwide. Elephants are a vital keystone species, they are the caretakers of their habitats and climate change mitigators in their role of maintaining biodiversity. Killing elephants ultimately destroys habitats and Canada needs to take a stand now to ban elephant ivory and protect elephants for their survival and the health of our planet.”
A staggering 20,000 African elephants are killed each year. Scientists anticipate they will be extinct in the wild within 20 years if threats continue. While poaching is the main threat to elephants, legal trophy hunting only exacerbates the threat and drives up the demand for elephant ivory.
Both the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Flora and Fauna (CITES) and members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have asked all countries to ban their domestic trade of ivory to save elephants. At least nine countries and 10 US states have done so. At the last IUCN Congress, Canada – along with Japan, Namibia and South Africa – refused to support the motion on domestic ivory trade bans.
Over 100 African elephant tusks were imported into Canada as hunting trophies over the past decade, according to the data Canada reported to CITES in its annual trade reports. Yet, exporting countries reported that over 300 African elephant tusks were exported to Canada in this same time period. The reason for the discrepancy is unknown.
Botswana was previously considered one of the last safe havens for elephants. It is home to 130,000 elephants which is almost a third of Africa’s total population.
In order to press the Canadian government into action, the Ivory-Free Canada Coalition launched a petition to ban elephant ivory and hunting trophies at change.org/ivoryfreecanada. With over 517,000 signatures, it is one of the largest Canadian petitions on Change.org for 2019.
For interviews and/or more information, please call or email the media contact below.
Media contact: Christopher Paré, director of communications, HSI/Canada – office: 514-395-2914 x 206, cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org
Media contact: Tessa Vanderkop, Director of Strategic Relationships and Advocacy, Elephanatics – cell: 604.789.8886, email: elephanaticsinfo@gmail.com, www.elephanatics.org
The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition is a partnership of non-profit organizations petitioning the Canadian government to ban the import, domestic trade and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies. The coalition includes Elephanatics, Global March for Elephants and Rhinos-Toronto, World Elephant Day, Humane Society International/Canada and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. Sign the Petition: www.change.org/ivoryfreecanada
Humane Society International/Canada is a leading force for animal protection, with active programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal preservation, farm animal welfare and animals in research. HSI/Canada is proud to be a part of Humane Society International which, together with its affiliates, constitutes one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide and on the web at hsicanada.ca.
Allow a panel of external elephant experts to examine Lucy
Lucy, a beautiful Asian elephant, arrived at the Valley Zoo on May 19, 1977. She came to Edmonton after being captured in Sri Lanka. Since there were no records of her birth, it was estimated that she was approximately two years of age – so Lucy is estimated to be 43 today! Lucy lived alone at the zoo for approximately 12 years. Then Samantha, a female African elephant, was brought to the zoo to keep Lucy company. In 2007, Samantha was sent to the North Carolina Zoo on a long-term breeding loan and Lucy has been alone since that time.
Lucy’s life in Edmonton does not even compare with the life she could be living if she was moved to a sanctuary. Currently, she lives a very solitary life with only human contact during “working hours”. Female elephants are highly social and suffer greatly when kept in isolation. Edmonton’s freezing winter weather and the zoo’s policy of locking Lucy indoors when the zoo is closed means that Lucy spends the majority of her time in a small barn. When she is allowed outside, she is restricted to an enclosure that is approximately one-half acre in size. Lucy exhibits signs of mental distress and has health issues—including upper respiratory problems, arthritis, obesity, and chronic foot ailments —attributable to inadequate conditions for the health and well-being of an elephant.
Both elephant and animal welfare experts agree that Lucy’s chronic health issues are exacerbated by being housed in a northern climate, which subjects her to confinement on cold, hard flooring, for the majority of the time. They also agree that her diseases are both chronic and advanced, and that she needs better living conditions and a more comprehensive program of medical attention than can be provided at the Valley Zoo in Edmonton. Lastly, they argue that keeping a female elephant alone, runs contrary not only to what science knows of elephants, but also national and international zoo association recommendations.
Despite strong scientific evidence, the City of Edmonton is resolute in their claim that Lucy is a well-adjusted healthy elephant overall and just fine where she is. In defense of their inaction in moving her to a sanctuary, they claim that Lucy is “too sick to move” and have convinced the media and their citizens that the “move will kill her”. However, they have never provided any medical evidence to that effect and have refused to broadened access to external experts to examine Lucy, continuing to allow only one external veterinarian to see her.
A number of experienced and renowned veterinarians world-wide have offered their support and services (at no cost to the City), yet the City and Zoo continue to insist that they have Lucy’s situation well in hand. Nonetheless, her condition continues to go undiagnosed – a situation that results in on-going pain and suffering for Lucy.
Please sign this petition asking the Mayor and City Council of Edmonton to ensure that Lucy is examined by an independent panel of elephant experts (a minimum of 9) to determine her medical condition (if any) and evaluate her “fitness” to travel to sanctuary. The experts chosen would be selected and agreed upon by both the City of Edmonton and Zoocheck Canada in order to ensure impartiality – affording the best advice for Lucy and all that care about her.
Sign and Share petition –
#GIVINGTUESDAY is December 3RD
Did you know elephants are essential in the fight against climate change?
Did you know it is still legal to buy and sell ivory in Canada?
How about the fact that elephants may be extinct in the wild in our lifetime?
A coalition of organizations to include Elephanatics, Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, World Elephant Day, Global March for Elephants and Rhinos – Toronto, and Humane Society International – Canada created the #IvoryFreeCanada campaign to help keep our elephants alive.
On #GivingTuesday we want to make it our objective to reinforce the global importance of saving elephants! Elephants not only contribute to lowering Co2 levels but are keystone species responsible for a myriad of other ecosystems. We have written education lesson plans on their importance and by sharing them with educators can make an impact on their survival.
We Need Your Help on #GivingTuesday!
To get involved, please go to https://elephanatics.org/education/ and share our lesson plans with educators in your area. They are written for both the Canadian and US curriculums and are fun, interactive and flexible.
Then please go to Elephanatics Homepage to #DONATE to help our organization continue to educate other organizations, teachers, and community members about the dire necessity to keep elephants from becoming extinct. By donating to Elephanatics, you are helping us continue to educate and take action to save the world’s remaining elephants.
Thank you for your Giving Spirit!
Support Elephants and Get a Free T-Shirt
As the holiday season approaches, consider purchasing a charitable item or becoming a monthly donor to support our cause! Thank you!
Click here: https://bit.ly/31QoDD9
Gift items: https://teespring.com/stores/elephanatics-bc?aid=marketplace
Lady Gets Rescued!
ELEPHANT RESCUE UPDATE
Many will recall we fundraised to rescue Joumban & Mae Seang in Laos earlier this year. If we have learned anything about rescues, it is that rescues change on a dime! The sanctuary asked us to donate to another rescue as they had since raised enough for Joumban & Mae Seang (who are now safe in sanctuary). We felt they were not taking enough care to ensure the seller didn’t buy another elephant – perhaps a baby – from the wild. We absolutely do not want to take that risk, so we kept looking for another rescue opportunity.
We thought we had settled on one, again in Laos, but the status kept changing so we held off any announcements. Unfortunately, they haven’t secured a major donor yet (we can only be a part-donor) so we are still communicating with several sanctuaries, including Elephant Nature Park, waiting for an ethical rescue.
A few days ago we heard Global Sanctuary for Elephants (GSE) in Brazil needed help with a rescue. Lady is an adorable, fluffy elephant, born in captivity, who spent 40 excruciating years in a circus and then 7 years in João Pessoa Zoo, Brazil. She will travel by road to the sanctuary in several days’ time. Lady’s feet are in the worst shape due to captivity – some nails are black! They will never fully recover but considerable funds are needed to give Lady the best relief possible. We have donated – thanks to you, our supporters – $1,200 towards Lady’s immediate vet care upon her arrival to GSE. (If any donors to the Joumban rescue do not wish their donations directed towards Lady’s care, please let us know and we will issue a refund.) We are very excited to finally be able to help our first ASIAN elephant! We will update you very shortly as soon as Lady’s rescue from the zoo begins!
Thank You For Your Support Donate to Elephanatics
