The Gardeners of the Global Pharmacy: Elephants, TCM, and World Wildlife Day 2026
Happy World Wildlife Day! 🌍🐘
Today, March 3rd, we join the global community in celebrating #WWD2026. This year’s theme, “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants,” highlights a delicate balance between human health and the survival of the species that maintain our natural “pharmacies.” At Elephanatics, we’ve always called elephants the “Master Gardeners” of the wild. But as we celebrate their role in planting the world’s healing herbs, we must also address the darker reality of how “medicine” is still being used as a justification for their destruction.
The Black Market Reality
While many are aware of the ivory crisis, a persistent and devastating threat remains: the use of elephant skin and other parts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Despite stricter laws passed in recent years and a growing global outcry, a shadow “black market” continues to thrive.
Wildlife products—including those from endangered elephants—are still being trafficked to treat various ailments, often bypassing legal protections entirely. While Elephanatics has focused heavily on education and habitat protection in recent years, we remain vigilant advocates against any trade that values an animal’s body parts over its life. The fight to move global medicine toward a truly wildlife-free future is far from over.
The Solution: Supporting the “Wild Greenhouse”
There is a bitter irony in this trade: elephants are the primary reason many medicinal plants exist at all. They are “Zoo-pharmacognosists”—natural doctors who seek out specific barks and roots to heal themselves.
By dispersing seeds through their dung and clearing forest paths, elephants cultivate the very herbs that should be the focus of traditional healing.
This is the dialogue we must advance: We need to support the transition within the TCM community away from animal parts and toward the sustainable, plant-based alternatives that elephants help grow. By protecting the ‘Master Gardeners,’ we aren’t just saving a species; we are protecting the natural laboratory that produces the sustainable medicines of the future. We are also protecting ourselves from the emergence of new health crises linked to the wildlife trade.
How You Can Be a “Habitat Hero” Today
We may not be able to stop the black market overnight, but we can influence the demand through education and awareness. This World Wildlife Day, help us advocate for a world where health doesn’t come at the cost of a herd:
Educate the Next Generation: If you are a teacher, use our rewilding lesson planto show students how protecting biodiversity globally protects the plants we all rely on.
Stay Informed: Awareness is our greatest tool against the illegal trade. Share this post to help others understand the link between conservation and sustainable medicine.
Support the “Gardeners”: Your support helps fund our ongoing mission to ensure the long-term survival and protection of African elephants in the wild. Donate
By protecting the “Master Gardeners” of the wild, we ensure the survival of the entire ecosystem they sustain. Let’s continue to work together to protect the future of the herd!
“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 ourTeespring 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
📣 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.
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.
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 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:
……………………..
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.
After 8 long years of advocating for a ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn in Canada, regulations have been enacted by the Canadian Government to ban the elephant ivory and rhino horn trade, along with the import of hunting trophies containing these parts. We couldn’t be happier to deliver this news to all our followers and supporters who have been our backbone and inspiration to carry on and get this job done! It took a lot of courage, but – We did it!
Firstly – A HUGE shout out to us – ‘Team Elephanatics’ – who created the #IvoryFreeCanada campaign and were joined by Humane Society International Canada, Rhino and Elephant Defenders, World Elephant Day and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, to form the Ivory Free Canada coalition. Together, we have been relentless in our mission to get this ban passed!
And secondly, an even bigger thanks to all the scientists, NGOs, politicians, the Ivory Free Canada coalition, volunteers, friends, family, educators, journalists, and people who worked tirelessly to make this happen. From the petition, started by the Ivory Free Canada coalition, that reached over 700,000 signatures that showed overwhelming support by citizens to save elephants and rhinos; to endless advocacy; to the collaboration of like minds working together to save a species, the end result has been a success. It took a village and a community dedicated to the cause of making the world a better place for elephants to get this done and we should all be stupendously proud of our efforts!
Who would have ever guessed that a small group of committed and disciplined people, who advocated for the betterment of elephants, could evoke such integrity and inspiration from like-minded partners, and see their dream come to fruition. We are humbled and grateful.
With deepest respect, thanks, and love, to everyone who was part of this enormous endeavour.
Fran Duthie
President Elephanatics
“With courage, you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity.”
Mark Twain
Read Full Press Release – Humane Society International Canada
The numbers are staggering as we learn that humanity is responsible for a decrease in animal populations worldwide of 68% in the past 50 years. At a time when more than 1 million animals are at risk of extinction, the links between human health and the health of the planet couldn’t be clearer, as evidenced by our current pandemic. Seventy percent of emerging viral diseases are caused by human/wildlife interface. The biggest issues facing the global community today are losses to biodiversity. Loss of wildlife affects ecosystems we all rely on to keep us healthy. Learn more about how elephants help preserve our natural world and why poaching, human-elephant conflict, and illegal trade is related to our own survival.
* Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants is an online educational program that aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, explorers and conservationists by bringing science, exploration, adventure and conservation live into classrooms through virtual speakers and field trips with leading experts across the globe.
The Gardeners of the Global Pharmacy: Elephants, TCM, and World Wildlife Day 2026
