Did you know that more than 35,000 elephants are killed by poachers each year for their ivory?
World Elephant Day is August 12th and I am supporting the Wildlife Conservation Society’s 96 Elephants campaign, and you should, too! The campaign focuses on protecting forest elephants from extinction through awareness and legislation and to stop the killing, demand and trafficking of elephant ivory.
Photo via 96Elephants.org
The 96 Elephants campaign is named for the number of elephants gunned down each day by poachers. The work that the Wildlife Conservation does focuses on securing laws, bolstering elephant protection with funding and educating people like you and me about the connection between buying ivory and the killing of these beautiful, smart animals.
Take a look at this video from the Wildlife Conservation Society. It’s a teachable moment when you visit the zoo, go on a safari ride or watch a documentary and see that elephants are smart animals with emotions and memories. Like you and me, they are mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters….
How You Can Help to Raise Awareness of World Elephant Day
1. Get creative! Use this special elephant template and have your kids color in their own elephant and take a picture with their art and share on social media with the hashtag #elphie
2. Take an #elphie. Print out these elephant masks and take pictures of yourselves wearing the masks and upload them to social media using the hashtag #elphie
3. Change your social profile picture. On August 12th, World Elephant Day, change your social profile picture to one of you in the elephant mask and include the caption “Join the herd” with a link to 96 Elephants information page .
4. Take the Pledge: Go to 96 Elephants and sign-up to take the pledge to not buy ivory and support the US ban (and state bans) against ivory sales. (I did!)
5. Donate a tweet or Facebook post. Go to Thunderclap and help spread the word together, all at once! (This is so cool – and so easy!)
6. Wear Grey! On August 12th, sport your most fashionable grey outfit during August 12th – 17th and tell everyone about the 96 Elephants campaign. (You’ll be fashionable with a cause!)
Click to learn more about 96 Elephants and the work that they do.
This is part of a sponsored series with the Wildlife Conservation Society. All opinions are my own.