Tag: endangered species
🐘 Elephanatics December Newsletter 🎁
Tis the Season!🎄
“Let us strive to learn from the past
Dare to live in the present
And have the courage to plan for the future!”
As we venture into the Christmas Season we have some good news we want to share with you!
📢 Victory for Responsible Conservation: Rewilding Guidelines Published!
We are thrilled to celebrate a massive achievement led by our Director, René Beyers, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. After dedicated work and advocacy, the crucial Rewilding Guidelines have been officially published! These guidelines are vital for ensuring that conservation and reintroduction efforts are ethical, responsible, and effective, setting a high standard for global biodiversity initiatives. René’s hard work has cemented Elephanatics’ leadership in science-based conservation policy.
📝 A Voice for Elephants at CITES-CoP20
Some great news coming out of the CITES-CoP20 being held in Uzbekistan right now! CITES-CoP20 delivered a crucial victory for wildlife! Elephanatics, with our coalition partners, successfully urged the Canadian delegation to oppose Proposals 13 and 14, which sought to re-open commercial ivory trade. Critically, the strong international stance was maintained, blocking all attempts, including Namibia’s proposal 13, to reopen the international ivory and rhino horn trade. This is great news for elephants! 🐘:)
✨ Good News: Amboseli’s Elephants are Thriving!
We were delighted by the recent reports confirming a significant increase in the elephant population in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park! This positive trend is a beacon of hope and a testament to the hard work of conservation partners, rangers, and local communities who protect this vital ecosystem. Every successful breeding season and every protected herd reinforces the mission we all share.
📚 New Lesson Plan for Educators!
We are excited to announce the launch of a new educational resource for teachers and educators: “Giants and Guardians: A Global Conservation Comparison.” This lesson plan is designed for Grades 6-8 and compares elephant conservation challenges in Africa with parallel issues facing iconic wildlife in Canada and the United States. We encourage all educators to review this resource and bring global conservation awareness into the classroom! Find all our lesson plans at elephanatics.org/education
🎁 Shop & Save an Elephant This Season!
As you begin your holiday shopping, remember that you can support Elephanatics without spending an extra dime!
Visit our Teespring line today and purchase apparel, mugs, and more. 100% of every sale goes directly back to our conservation, education, and action initiatives, helping us fund the critical work you read about above.
Thank you for your continued support and passion for elephants. Wishing you all a safe start to December filled with laughter and joy for the festive season, and may the New Year bring continued success and prosperity for you all!
“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” Charles Dickens
The Elephanatics Team 🎁🎄
Elephanatics October 2025 Newsletter!
October is Here!
“O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.” — Robert Frost, from the poem “October”
As the days grow darker and the chill sets in, it’s the perfect time to renew our spirits and look forward to the warmth of friends and family. Thanksgiving offers a wonderful chance to pause, be grateful for all we have, and cherish the good times. We have some great news to share with you as well!
- We are absolutely delighted to introduce our new Outreach Coordinator and Educator, Amanda Slatin! We are so fortunate to welcome an enthusiastic teacher who is ready to inspire students to become the next generation of Planet Protectors.
Amanda is a passionate Educator committed to sparking curiosity and
lifelong learning, as she enjoys teaching students in K-12th grades. She has a Master’s in Education and has worked as a Curriculum Developer in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Africa. After a recent trip to Kenya, she fell in love with the elephants, who are one of the most protective, loyal, and caring animals. Amanda believes in the power of storytelling, building an interactive classroom, sharing real-world connections to inspire young minds, with a commitment to conservation by fostering empathy, compassion, and community.
- On this World Animal Day, October 4th, Empower the Protectors!
Please consider funding an elephant scholarship for the Mara Elephant Project in Kenya. The Mara Elephant Project (MEP) does vital work on the front lines, and we are proud partners through our unique elephant scholarship program. This isn’t just about saving animals; it’s about building capacity, fostering local leadership, and creating sustainable conservation solutions from within the communities that live alongside these giants. Your support for our scholarship program provides critical training and education for dedicated individuals in Kenya, transforming them into skilled conservationists. They become the eyes on the ground, the voices for the voiceless, and the guardians of elephant herds, directly impacting the reduction of poaching and mitigation of human-elephant conflict. Donate today!
- We are now a member of the Canadian Committee for the IUCN (CCIUCN)!
The Canadian Committee for IUCN (CCIUCN) provides a crucial voice and networking platform for Canadians engaged in IUCN work. As a supportive, collegial non-profit, the CCIUCN allows individuals and organizations across Canada to actively share information and foster collective action on conservation issues. They specifically work intergenerationally and with diverse cultures (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) to ensure different world views and perspectives are represented in their initiatives. Their activities, including the Annual General Meeting and communication channels, showcase the diversity of Canadian conservation.
In addition, the CCIUCN is a hub for sharing applicable global IUCN news, information and expertise. The #IUCNWorldConservationCongress is being held in Abu Dhabi this year Oct 9 – 15 with the theme “Powering transformative conservation”. Rewilding will be a central component at the Congress. You can help support rewilding efforts here.
- CITES CoP20 – November 24 – December 5, 2025
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is the global mechanism that keeps wildlife trade from pushing species toward extinction.
The member Parties will meet soon for the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from November 24 to December 5, 2025, to vote on new proposals. Elephanatics and our coalition believe some of these proposals pose a serious threat. We have submitted a letter to Canada’s CITES Management Authority outlining our opposition and calling for immediate action to oppose these proposals. Please review our urgent position letter here: Canada CITES Management Authority SUBMISSION
We are deeply grateful for your support and shared love of elephants and all wildlife. Let’s keep working together to help our fellow friends! Enjoy the fall season ahead.
The ELEPHANATICS Team
Elephanatics Newsletter September 2025
Back to School Edition
At Elephanatics Foundation, we’re committed to educating the next generation. We believe that fostering a deep understanding of elephants—their vital role as a keystone species and their status as iconic mammals crucial to local and global ecosystems—is the cornerstone for building the next generation of future conservationists.
Elephanatics Education Resources for Teachers | Educators | Homeschools
To better support teachers and students, we have created new, updated, and personalized lesson plans tailored for elementary and secondary educators. Access our full range of elementary and intermediary lesson plans, designed for both Canadian and US curriculums, with a simple click! Available below for immediate download:
- For elementary and secondary school educators – bring a wildlife ranger or elephant researcher into your classroom! To find out more click here.
- Check out our lesson plans on elephant ecology and action! Click here to learn more.
- NEW! Request a teacher to do a virtual presentation in your classroom! Pick a special day like #WorldElephantDay #WorldWildlifeDay or #EarthDay to make it even more impactful! Or, just pick any day that suits you!
On behalf of the Fran Duthie (Elephanatics) African Elephant Conservation Scholarship, Mara Elephant Project is thrilled to welcome four incredible young conservation champions into the herd!
These four candidates were chosen not only for their passion and drive, but also because they represent the communities Mara Elephant Project partners with to protect wildlife and their habitats. Amos and Faith are from the Loita area and are passionate about its preservation. Additionally, Sarah and Robert are from key operational areas in the Mara where the community is critical to supporting MEP’s coexistence efforts. Together, they represent the future of conservation, leaders driven by resilience, passion, and a vision for thriving communities and wild spaces. Congratulations, Faith Leuka, Amos Baari, Robert Muli and Sarah Loiman!
Read more about their journeys here.
A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating #WorldElephantDay with a donation!
This year, Elephanatics was honored to partner with the Mara Elephant Project (MEP), an organization on the front lines of elephant conservation in Kenya, Africa. Our shared goal was to raise awareness and critical funds for the Loita Forest in Kenya, a lush and biodiverse habitat that is not only home to a thriving elephant population but also a sanctuary for many other rare and endangered species.
Our initial target was to raise $1,200, and we are beyond grateful to share that with a generous dollar-for-dollar match from Elephanatics, we completely surpassed that goal!
Your contributions will directly fund the Mara Elephant Project’s crucial on-the-ground efforts—from anti-poaching patrols that keep elephants safe, to community-led programs that resolve human-wildlife conflicts. Every dollar donated will be put to work immediately, ensuring the guardians of this forest have the resources they need to protect this precious ecosystem.
Thank you for being an essential part of the solution where together we are helping to protect and build a world where elephants and all wildlife can thrive.
Conservation and Technology
Can Tech Turn the Tide on Wildlife Crime?
As one of the world’s most profitable international crimes, the illicit wildlife trade generates billions in revenue each year. The criminal syndicates responsible for poaching and illegal resource extraction are highly organized and well-funded. Find out how scalable innovation is being used as a strategic tool to effectively counter this global threat. Read more here.
Interested in supporting our work? Click here to donate.
Thank you for your support!
ELEPHANATICS TEAM
Happy #WorldElephantDay 2025
Today we pause to give thanks and respect to the matriarchs who shape our world – from elephants to humans!
The theme of World Elephant Day 2025 is “Matriarchs & Memories.” The theme is a tribute to the deep emotional lives and social intelligence of elephants and serves as a call to action to protect both the physical presence of elephants and the cultural and biological heritage they represent.
We would like to thank everyone who has donated to our fundraiser to help support Mara Elephant Project. Their goal to raise funds to preserve a section of the Loita Forest in Kenya for elephants, other wildlife and communities, is one of their largest projects to date. They have forged partnerships in the forest to pay people to protect and preserve the land, solidify MEP’s ongoing protection efforts and create an elephant easement that provides shelter for the gentle giants that call it home.
Your donations help them fund critical activities to protect this area. Please continue to help them preserve a forest for elephants, people and the planet.
Double your impact today on #WED! 
#Donate – rb.gy/7k17mg
Fran Duthie African Elephant Scholarship 2025
📣 Congratulations 📣 to the four new recipients chosen for the Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship, 2025! 🎓
Mara Elephant Project is thrilled to welcome four incredible young conservation champions into the 2025 Fran Duthie (Elephanatics) African Elephant Conservation Scholarship herd.
Faith Leuka – A passionate forestry student and community leader from Narok, committed to sustainable land use and empowering women in conservation. Faith is currently undertaking her Diploma in Forestry at the Kenya Forestry College in Kericho. Amos Baari – A climate advocate and pastoralist champion pursuing his Master’s in Climate Change and Environment, working to bridge pastoralist livelihoods and biodiversity protection. Baari is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Climate Change and Environment at the University of Nairobi. Robert Muli – A wildlife conservation student whose resilience and leadership have fueled his dream to strengthen community-based conservation and wildlife management. Muli is currently enrolled at the University of Eldoret, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Conservation and Management. Sarah Loiman – A dedicated student from Narok with aspirations in Environmental Science, determined to give back through education, outreach, and wildlife protection. Sarah is pursuing a Bachelor of Environmental Science at Kenyatta University.These four candidates were chosen not only for their passion and drive, but also because they represent the communities Mara Elephant Project partners with to protect wildlife and their habitats. Amos and Faith are from the Loita area and are passionate about its preservation. Additionally, Sarah and Robert are from key operational areas in the Mara where the community is critical to supporting MEP’s coexistence efforts. Together, they represent the future of conservation, leaders driven by resilience, passion, and a vision for thriving communities and wild spaces.
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!
World Elephant Day is August 12th
Until August 12th, every dollar you donate to Mara Elephant Project through this fundraiser will be matched by Elephanatics up to a total of $1200!
World Elephant Day is a day that brings the world together to help elephants. This year Elephanatics is partnering with the Mara Elephant Project for WED to raise awareness and funds for the Loita Forest that forms the eastern part of the Greater Mara Ecosystem and is home to not just elephants, but many rare species. The virgin, old-growth, afro-montane forest is one of the most beautiful and intact forests in East Africa. The forest faces significant threats, particularly from current subdivision of communal to private title deed ownership. This subdivision is causing land use change which accelerates the destruction of the forest jeopardizing the wildlife residing within and the surrounding rangelands. Importantly, the rangelands serve as crucial protective buffers and movement corridors for elephants and other wildlife.
A unique opportunity is available for MEP to purchase 1,000 acres or 100 high-value parcels adjacent to the forest core, near wetlands or within corridors, to put into a Conservation Land Trust. Owning these parcels would create a figurative mote that surrounds the 58% of the forest that is community owned, less inhabited, but still at risk of destruction. It also ensures MEP jurisdiction in perpetuity providing a permanent barrier where MEP can enforce forest protection effectively blocking illegal habitat destruction activity from reaching the 58% of the forest.
Their goal is to raise $100,000 in August, which would take them over halfway toward their project funding goal in 2025.
Your much needed donations will be matched and will fund critical activities to protect this area.
We thank you for your continued support. Please donate at: rb.gy/7k17mg
Mara Elephant Project USA, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting the efforts of Mara Elephant Project to protect elephants and their habitats across the Greater Mara Ecosystem in Kenya.
Visit their website at https://maraelephantproject.org for more information.
Thank you.
The Elephanatics Team
Elephanatics May 2025 Newsletter
A Gentle Rumble from Elephanatics
Greetings Elephant Enthusiasts!
In Vancouver, the days are getting longer, bursting with spring green, and across the globe magnificent elephants continue their ancient journeys. Elephanatics works hard to encourage education about these amazing creatures within schools, the community, and online. We believe that understanding these incredible creatures is the first step towards protecting them. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of elephants!
This Month’s Focus: The Power of Memory
Elephants are renowned for their incredible memories, and it’s more than just folklore! Their complex social structures and survival depend heavily on their ability to remember vital information.
- Watering Holes and Migration Routes: Elephants can recall the locations of distant watering holes and traditional migration paths, knowledge passed down through generations. This is crucial for navigating vast landscapes and surviving in challenging environments.
- Social Bonds: They recognize family members and other individuals within their social groups, even after long separations. This memory underpins their intricate social lives and cooperative behaviours.
- Threat Recognition: Elephants can remember specific threats, such as the scent or appearance of predators or past encounters with humans, allowing them to react appropriately and protect themselves and their young.
- Learning and Adaptation: Young elephants learn essential survival skills by observing and remembering the actions of their elders, highlighting the importance of matriarchal knowledge.
Did You Know? Studies have shown that elephants can even differentiate between the voices and scents of different human groups, potentially remembering those who pose a threat versus those who are harmless.
Conservation Corner: Understanding Habitat Loss
One of the biggest threats facing elephants today is the loss and fragmentation of their natural habitats. This month, we want to shed light on why this is so critical:
- Shrinking Spaces: As human populations grow and land is converted for agriculture, infrastructure, and development, the areas available for elephants to roam freely are shrinking.
- Increased Conflict: Habitat loss often leads to increased encounters between elephants and humans, resulting in conflict over resources and safety for both.
- Disrupted Migration: When traditional migration routes are blocked, elephants can be cut off from vital resources like water and food, impacting their survival.
- Ecosystem Impact: The loss of elephant habitat also has a ripple effect on entire ecosystems, as elephants play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity. They are a keystone species.
Upcoming Events:
- Our African Elephant Specialist, Dr Rene Beyers, will be giving an online presentation May 23, with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, VP of Education, Jesse Hildebrand. Don’t miss this exciting educational broadcast on Rewilding and its global importance in saving wildlife and ecosystems!
Wildlife Conservation Conferences / Symposiums coming up in May and July:
- Canadian Environmental Crime Symposium (CECRN) (May 8th and 9th – 9am-5:30EDT) Launch of the first CECRN. Presented online or in person. Topics include transnational environmental crime, organized crime and environmental crime convergences, poaching, trafficking, crime journalism and more. Registration is free. https://lnkd.in/ere2pB2S
- Global Conference on Environmental and Biological Science (GCEBS) (May 16-18, 2025): Taking place in Vancouver, Canada. This conference covers a broad range of topics, including conservation biology and biodiversity conservation. To be held at The University of British Columbia, located at 800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 3B7, Canada, in Room C215.
- Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association (July 27 – August 1, 2025): This conference focuses on wildlife health and its connection to conservation. Held at 720 Douglas St, Victoria BC, V8W 3M7, Canada.
What Can You Do? Supporting organizations like Elephanatics helps fund initiatives that work to protect and restore elephant habitats through anti-poaching efforts, community engagement, and advocating for conservation policies such as rewilding.
Get Involved!
- Share the Knowledge: Help us spread awareness by sharing this newsletter and facts about elephants with your friends and family.
- Follow Us on Social Media: Stay up-to-date with our latest news, photos, and educational content on Facebook / Instagram / Threads / X and our website elephanatics.org
- Join our community of dedicated elephant advocates! We need volunteers of all kinds! Contact us @ elephanatics.org/volunteer
- Consider a Donation: Your contribution, no matter the size, directly supports our educational programs and conservation efforts. Visit elephanatics.org/donate
- OR donate to the Fran Duthie African Elephant Scholarship. The goal of this scholarship is to provide financial support to Kenyan nationals acquiring a technical certificate, undergraduate or postgraduate (Masters or PhD) degree in an area related to conservation and the protection of wildlife. Donations go to maraelephantproject.org/donate
Thank you for continuing to be a vital part of Elephanatics community. Together, we can ensure a future where elephants thrive.
Until next time, enjoy the longer days and sunshine!
The Team at Elephanatics
elephanaticsinfo@gmail.com
A Triumphant Recognition! A huge Congratulations!
It is with great pride and excitement to announce that Dr. Jake Wall, co-founder of Elephanatics and EarthRanger, has been awarded the Esmond B. Martin Royal Geographic Society Prize for 2025 – an honour recognizing outstanding individual achievement in the pursuit and application of geographical research, with a particular emphasis on wildlife conservation and environmental research studies.
“Dr Wall has been at the forefront of leveraging technology to create freely available geospatial tools for the benefit of wildlife conservation in Africa and beyond for the last 20 years. Jake’s dedication and passion for wildlife is matched only by his tireless efforts to provide conservationists with the tools and methods they need to better protect the natural world.His approach has been methodical and detailed focusing on the benefits, not only to the natural landscape, but the communities that live along side these majestic animals.
As Director of Research and Conservation for the Mara Elephant Project (MEP), Jake established a long-term elephant monitoring programme and developed an application to easily map landscapes, especially fences, which have become a major threat to wildlife movements in the Mara ecosystem. Prior to working with MEP, Jake worked as the Geospatial Scientific Advisor to Save the Elephants for 15 years where he developed a real-time tracking system to visualise GPS data from collared African elephants across the continent. Algorithms scanned the data and, among other things, sent alerts when elephants had moved unusually fast, suggesting panic, or had stopped moving which might indicate a poaching event. In partnership with Save the Elephants and the Allen Institute for AI, this system was expanded into EarthRanger, now used by over 600 sites across 74 countries and growing rapidly.
To complement EarthRanger, Jake is now leading the development of Ecoscope, which provides users with access to ready-made analytics from sources of publicly available remote sensing data. It allows researchers and conservationists to easily engage with the data and generate meaningful outputs, thereby turning conservation data into information to improve decision making, insight and the protection of ecosystems.”
Congratulations Jake! You are very deserving of such a prestigious acknowledgement. Team Elephanatics is extremely proud of all your hard work and devotion to protecting the greatest animal ever created!
The elephants trumpet! 🐘
Happy Valentine’s & Family Day!
Elephanatics Newsletter
February 14th, 2025
Holidays and celebrations are a time to remember and focus on what is important in these uncertain times and what to be grateful for – love, family, friendships and the beautiful natural world around us.
It takes all of us working together on shared goals to advance the protection of elephants, a keystone species, integral to the health and well-being of communities and the larger ecosystem.
Thank you for your enduring support. Together we can continue to make life better for elephants and all wildlife!
We have some LOVE to share with you:
Small Wins for Elephants:
There were two positive outcomes at the 78th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC78) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on the issue of domestic ivory markets. The Standing Committee agreed to renew important decisions directing Parties with legal domestic ivory markets to report on measures taken to ensure they are not contributing to poaching or illegal trade.
Japan has still not closed its legal trade. Read more here.
EU, ICCWC, and Civil Society Join Forces to Combat Wildlife Crime
Global International Wildlife crime represents one of the greatest threats to the protection of the world’s endangered and at risk species. In a win for wildlife protection, a new coalition partnership between GUARD Wildlife (Global United Action to Reduce and Dismantle Organized Wildlife Crime) the EU, and ICCWC, aims to conserve endangered species and biodiversity for future generations. GUARD Wildlife will enhance coordinated responses to combat wildlife crime at the national, regional and international levels and reduce illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products in source, transit and destination countries. Read more here.
The Fran Duthie African Elephant Scholarship Update
Established in 2022 the Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to Kenyans pursuing conservation. We are pleased to share an update of our most recent students who have benefited from this capacity building scholarship. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can support the scholarship fund in 2025, please contact us or make a donation today to show your LOVE!
Elephanatics Education! Getting the Word Out!
Education is one of Elephanatics foundational pillars. Teaching and engaging youth is helping to raise a new generation of students who understand the value of biodiversity and of course, the vital importance of elephants. A big thanks to a homeschool teacher in the US who sent us photos of her students who created their own original t-shirt designs and stickers after teaching our ‘Trunks of Hope: T-Shirt design Mission for Elephant Conservation’ lesson plan! Check out our lesson plans!
We would like to show our LOVE and THANKS to one of our volunteers who wrote an article on the work Elephanatics does as an organization. We appreciate your time and efforts, Charlotte!
- Volunteer are always needed. Please contact us if you are interested in helping elephants!