Tag: rewild

Happy World Wildlife Day 2026

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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:

  1. Educate the Next Generation: If you are a teacher, use our rewilding lesson plan to show students how protecting biodiversity globally protects the plants we all rely on.

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

The Elephanatics Team  🌍🐘

Elephanatics Foundation - Fighting elephant poaching and transnational wildlife crime through the UNTOC Protocol

🐘 Elephanatics | November 2025 Newsletter

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November: The Global Battle for Elephants is On!

 Support Through Giving Tuesday December 2nd

"Elephanatics Foundation - Free elephant conservation lesson plans, toolkits for teachers, and persuasive essay resources."Photo credit – Francine Lebel-Carruthers

Greetings from the herd at Elephanatics!

For over a decade, we at Elephanatics Foundation have been powering bold elephant advocacy across Canada and Africa. Our mission is clear and drives everything we do: educate, conserve, and take action for elephants and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Why Elephants Matter

How We Take Action: From Savanna to Policy Table

  • Frontline Conservation: Our sustained partnership with the Mara Elephant Project  (MEP) in Kenya connects your support to life-saving work, including funding anti-poaching patrols, utilizing GPS collars for real-time tracking, and implementing human-elephant conflict mitigation strategies.
  • Historic Policy Win: We lead influential policy campaigns — for example, the Ivory-Free Canada coalition that successfully implemented a historic ban on the elephant ivory trade in Canada in November 2023. Read more here
  • Public Awareness: We provide educational resources and raise public awareness, making elephant protection a cause people can engage with, not just observe. Find resources here
  • Fundraising & Amplification: We actively fundraise for specific, high-impact conservation needs (like our World elephant Day support for MEP’s Loita Forest project). Critically, for Giving Tuesday on December 2nd, we will amplify MEP’s urgent field work across our channels, encouraging our supporters to donate directly here to their frontline efforts.

What’s Coming Up: CITES CoP20

From November 24 to December 5, 2025, representatives from 185 countries will gather in Samarkand, Uzbekistan for the 20th meeting of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Elephanatics Foundation has submitted a position letter to Canada’s Scientific Management Authority outlining opposition arguments to Proposals by African countries wanting to reopen the ivory trade. The cost to elephants for any renewed trade would be catastrophic, as a legal market would inevitably provide cover for illegal poaching, creating a devastating surge in demand that would once again drive elephant populations toward extinction.

Ongoing Policy Work

We continue to work in collaboration with other global NGOs, sending letters to MPs and Federal Ministers regarding the urgent need for an additional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.The 13th session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is scheduled to take place in October 2026 in Vienna, Austria. We will continue to advocate on this critical topic more aggressively.

A Final Call to Action

Elephanatics Foundation is turning the tide for elephants — from classrooms in Canada and the US to the savannas of Africa — by merging education with on-the-ground conservation and policy power. With the global spotlight shifting to the critical negotiations at CITES CoP20 this November, the time to support organizations working against the reopening of the ivory trade is critical. This makes Giving Tuesday (December 2nd) an excellent time to provide the vital funds these organizations need to continue their advocacy work and protect the future of the species. Donate directly to MEP’s frontline efforts here.

Thank You

We thank you for being a committed Elephanatics follower. Whether through sharing our posts or donating on Giving Tuesday, December 2nd, you are a vital partner in our fight to secure a future free of the ivory trade. We are deeply grateful for your continued advocacy and support.

🐘 The Elephanatics Team 

Don’t forget to follow us on our other social media platforms: https://linktr.ee/elephanatics

 

Elephanatics Newsletter September 2025

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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

Elephanatics Newsletter July 2025

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The Elephant Days of Summer!

Summer is here, a time for relaxation and reflection.  Here are some wins and good news on our radar for our elephant lovers!

The Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship application for 2025 is now open and will be administered by the Mara Elephant Project. Accepting applications until the end of July, this scholarship provides financial support, and hands-on training for Kenyan students. The scholarship is intended for students pursuing conservation or a related field. The goal of this scholarship is to provide 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 will provide practical experience to the scholar during their studies by undertaking a 1-month internship with a Kenyan conservation organization. 

Apply today -> https://buff.ly/haSKLIw

We’re thrilled to share that The Mara Elephant Project is currently hosting recipient Mary Wangari at HQ  for a one-month internship. Read more here.  

It takes a village! A big elephantine thank you to Vegan Supply for once again letting us be their ‘jar donation’ recipient for the month of June. With their support we were able to raise funds to support our education and conservation programs. Vegan Supply is one of North America’s largest vegan online marketplaces.

Mark Your Calendars! August 12th is World Elephant Day!

#worldelephantday 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. Your much needed donations will be matched and will fund critical activities to protect this area. Donate here. 

Advocacy Alert

Working in collaboration with other global NGOs the Elephanatics team has sent letters to MPs and Federal Ministers regarding the urgent need for a global agreement, taking the form of an additional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.
Supporting the work of Global Initiative to end Wildlife Crime, Elephanatics will continue to engage and advocate for urgent action to be taken to bring to fruition a global treaty to combat the illegal trade by integrating offences into international criminal law. Read more here.

Fun Fact!

How can you tell the difference between elephant and mammoth ivory? To save elephant populations from extinction, the international community banned the sale of their ivory—but selling mammoth ivory remains legal, and the two are difficult to tell apart, especially for non-experts. This leaves a possible loophole for sellers of poached ivory to exploit. Now stable isotope analysis could provide a cheap, rapid option to speed up sample screening and stop the sale of elephant ivory! Read more here.

(Photo credit: Unsplash CCo Public Domain)

Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone!

Elephanatics Team

Elephanatics May 2025 Newsletter

Published on by elephanatic

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

Happy News for the First Month of 2025!

Published on by elephanatic

Elephanatics is very pleased to share the most recent updates from the four recipients of the Fran Duthie Scholarship administered by our partner organization, Mara Elephant Project, in Kenya.

Learn about the exciting work these students are undertaking in conservation related fields. By securing an education for the next generation in wildlife conservation, we are helping to secure a healthy future for our planet as well. We wish them continued success with their programs!

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can support the scholarship fund in 2025, please email us or make a donation today. 

#maraelephantproject

An Update from the Four Recipients of the Fran Duthie Scholarship

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Published on by elephanatic
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.
Enjoy your day everyone!

BRING A WILDLIFE RANGER OR RESEARCHER INTO YOUR CLASSROOM!

Published on by elephanatic

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!

"Elephanatics Foundation - Free elephant conservation lesson plans, toolkits for teachers, and persuasive essay resources."

Educational Resources

Elephanatics Newsletter – August

Published on by elephanatic

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.

This year Elephanatics and long-term partners, Mara Elephant Project and World Elephant Day, are joining forces to make WED a mutually beneficial and positive collaboration for elephants. Patricia Sims will be visiting MEP, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary and Save the Elephants to learn first-hand issues facing elephants and how to collaborate to ensure their long-term survival.

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.

BREAKING NEWS: Canada enacts historic ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn trade

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Elephanatics is Ecstatic to Announce:

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

https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/canada-enacts-historic-ban-on-elephant-ivory-and-rhino-horn-trade/