After Suffering Extreme Injuries From Poachers, Little Rescued Elephant Takes His First Steps to Recovery.
Life is anything but easy for the world’s wild elephants thanks to humans. It is estimated that one elephant is poached every 15 minutes to meet global demands for ivory. Sadly, not only does this spell disaster for full-grown elephants, but also for the young calves that are rendered defenseless in their wake. Like human children, elephant calves rely on their mothers for the few years of life and without them they barely stand a chance.
Luckily, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is working to help these orphaned calves through their amazing Orphan Project. Simotua, the baby elephant featured in this video was rescued after being attacked by poachers. The poor little one had suffered deep spear wounds to the skull and another major injury on his leg. While his rescuers weren’t certain that the calf would be able to survive the first few days in their care, he has proved to be quite the fighter! Here, Simotua joins the herd of other elephants after a mere two weeks. You can see how pleased this little one is to play and interact with his new friends and it absolutely warms our hearts.
AWF Launches Anti-Poaching Campaign in Tanzania
Luckily, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is working to help these orphaned calves through their amazing Orphan Project. Simotua, the baby elephant featured in this video was rescued after being attacked by poachers. The poor little one had suffered deep spear wounds to the skull and another major injury on his leg. While his rescuers weren’t certain that the calf would be able to survive the first few days in their care, he has proved to be quite the fighter! Here, Simotua joins the herd of other elephants after a mere two weeks. You can see how pleased this little one is to play and interact with his new friends and it absolutely warms our hearts.
AWF Launches Anti-Poaching Campaign in Tanzania
African Wildlife Foundation and WildAid, in partnership with Tanzania’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, are launching a new public awareness campaign, one aimed at educating the Tanzanian public about the severe poaching crisis and building widespread support to protect elephants and other species from the illegal wildlife trade.
Tanzania has lost 60 percent of its elephants in the last five years, mainly because of poaching for ivory. Demand in China and other ivory consuming nations is fueling a black market in ivory, which has lead to the decimation of the East African country’s once thriving elephant herds. Only those criminals and corrupt individuals at the very top of the illegal ivory supply chain in Africa and Asia have benefited from this destruction and are reaping huge profits, while everyday Tanzanians are being robbed of their natural heritage.
“Elephants are at the top of the 'wish list' for most tourists who come to this country, and tourism generates over 12 percent of our gross domestic product,” said The Hon. Lazaro Nyalandu, Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism. “Our elephants are a great asset to this country in many ways, and my government is determined to stop the slaughter. But we cannot do it alone. We want to enlist the help of all of our citizens in our efforts to stop the theft of our national heritage.”
Dr. Patrick Bergin, CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, emphasized that poaching is tarnishing Tanzania’s image as one of the great elephant refuges.
“Tanzania has always been known for its large elephant herds and, together with Botswana and Zimbabwe, is home to half of all of Africa’s elephants,” said Bergin. “The current rate of poaching, however, threatens to erode that distinction. As Tanzanians learn more about the crisis through the campaign, we hope they will work with us to protect this tremendous asset."
In a recent survey of over 2,000 Tanzanians in both rural and urban areas, nearly 80 percent of respondents said that it would matter a great deal to them if elephants disappeared from Tanzania, and over 73 percent said that they associated wildlife with their national identity and heritage.
“All Tanzanians, no matter where they live, are stakeholders in the country's wildlife resource,” said Peter Knights, CEO of WildAid. “The tagline for this campaign, ‘Ujangili Unatuumiza sote’ (poaching steals from us all), is a reminder that those who are poaching elephants and smuggling their ivory to east Asia are stealing from all Tanzanian citizens.”
The joint campaign will use Swahili-language radio and television, social media, newspapers and magazines, billboards and videos in public spaces in order to reach as many members of the public as possible. "We are making plans to ensure that even people living in remote rural villages will have an opportunity to hear our messages,” said Knights.
Celebrated singer Alikiba has become the first Ambassador for the campaign. "I'm honoured to lend any support that I can to this campaign,” Alikiba said. "Our beautiful elephants must be allowed to live, free and wild, instead of ending up as a carving on somebody's coffee table.”
The media and selected guests are invited to attend the launch of the campaign on June 18 at the Slipaway Hotel in Dar es Salaam, where new videos starring well-known Tanzanian celebrities, including Alikiba, will be screened.
Protecting the Protectors of Africa’s World Heritage
Protecting the Protectors of Africa’s World Heritage
AWF’s Andrea Athanas is currently attending the 39th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Meeting in Bonn, Germany.
Everyone in the chamber stood and the room fell silent—you could have heard a pin drop.
The first morning’s deliberations on the state of conservation of those UNESCO World Heritage sites listed as “in danger” was full of sad reports of African rangers losing their lives in defense of wildlife.
Recognized for their valor, these rangers paid the ultimate price protecting areas the world has recognized for their Outstanding Universal Value. So many of these brave men and women were cut down by poachers who arrived on the “battlefield” better armed and better equipped.
The struggle to defend Africa’s World Heritage sites from violent aggressors is nothing new. Just last month, four park rangers came under attack in Virunga National Park—a designated World Heritage site since 1979. While three rangers emerged from the incident with injuries for which they are currently being treated, their fourth colleague was tragically killed. This death brings the park’s total number of rangers lost in the line of duty to a staggering 140 in just the past few years..
Garamba National Park, another World Heritage site in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), also lost one of its courageous rangers a few weeks ago, as well as two soldiers accompanying the park unit. The attackers are suspected to be poachers from South Sudan, who, according to the park director, are increasingly relying on sophisticated equipment—like helicopters—to slaughter elephants for the sake of selling their ivory tusks.
The risk to rangers is not limited to run-ins with poachers, however.
In November, during a routine patrol of the Iyondji Community Bonobo Reserve—a newly established protected area in DRC—a nine-man patrol unit led by Pacha Lotango, a female ranger who graduated top of her class, came under attack. Pacha was badly beaten and remained unconscious for several hours before being evacuated to Kinshasa for treatment and recovery. The unit’s attackers turned out to be villagers who were angry about one of their members being detained for illegally hunting in the reserve.
Poaching is a scourge on the continent of Africa. It gives back nothing and instead takes only lives. It empties our most treasured protected areas—Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve, Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park—of their most precious jewels.
Yet we owe tremendous gratitude to the heroic men and women who continue to put themselves on the front line of the fight against such a menace. Their work is invaluable, their bravery unquantifiable. The future of Africa’s incredible natural heritage—from its iconic wildlife to its picture-perfect landscapes—depends on maintaining the integrity of the ecosystems in which flora and fauna thrive. The protection of these ecosystems rests squarely on the shoulders of park rangers and eco-guards.
Just last week, on her own request to the reserve warden, Pacha returned to the field. Her commitment to the cause—like the commitment of rangers across the continent—inspires us at AWF to continue doing our part, ensuring that these conservation heroes have the training, equipment and support they need. In the heat of Africa’s poaching crisis they deserve nothing less.
Thanks especially to the tireless and what is endless work of the people that are trying to stop all Wild Life Crime every day and in every way, and thanks to any participants who please, if you want to be credited in any way, contact us now at artistdevelopment@tropical-records.com. We will do it that minute.
Again, this video is monetized in some way (ad shares, amounts of plays, amounts of views, etc.) and therefore any and I mean 100% of all revenues made from it, will go to the WWF.
Illegal wildlife trade has exploded to meet increasing demand for elephant ivory, rhino horns, and tiger products, particularly in Asia. Controlled by dangerous crime syndicates, wildlife is trafficked much like drugs or weapons. Wildlife criminals often operate with impunity, making the trade a low-risk/high-profit business. Today, it is the fifth most profitable illicit trade in the world, estimated at up to $10 billion annually.
WWF is leading a global campaign to stop wildlife crime.
We are applying the strength of our worldwide network, our influence with partners and governments, and the passion of our supporters to a crisis that is threatening to undo years of conservation progress. The past year has already yielded some big wins like Thailand’s ban on their ivory trade and support from champions such as U.S. President Barack Obama. Join our campaign and help us:
Push governments to protect threatened animal populations by increasing law enforcement, imposing strict deterrents, reducing demand for endangered species products and honoring international commitments made under CITES.
Speak up on behalf of those on the frontlines being threatened by armed poachers so they are properly equipped, trained and compensated.
Reduce demand for illegal wildlife parts and products by encouraging others to ask questions and get the facts before buying any wildlife or plant product.
As a matter of fact, we have set up an automated monthly payment which I am matching BTW, every month. Thanks for the help and for your participation in stopping all wildlife crime. If you want to donate direct to the WWF for the Stopping of All Wild Life Crimes, please click here (https://secure3.convio.net/eii/site/D...).
I did one video for a charity one day using the GoPro footage and I am NOT sure what happened because I went off doing at least one for all of our Sunset music artists. I had so much fun doing it. I never made a video before these ever in my life. Thanks again because it was fun to break away from my real work to do this creative work!
Also, please visit this artists web site at www.Richtaste.sunsetrecordings.com and visit Sunset Records at anytime at www.sunsetrecordings.com.
Overall, thanks for the great support because we had almost 15K views in less than a month before the YouTube officials flagged it, deleted it, and started it over here for some reason that had something to do with us changing distributors. But whatever, and again, thanks for the support building these plays, etc. (again)...and most of all, we hope you enjoy the music and this music video!
Again, this video is monetized in some way (ad shares, amounts of plays, amounts of views, etc.) and therefore any and I mean 100% of all revenues made from it, will go to the WWF.
Illegal wildlife trade has exploded to meet increasing demand for elephant ivory, rhino horns, and tiger products, particularly in Asia. Controlled by dangerous crime syndicates, wildlife is trafficked much like drugs or weapons. Wildlife criminals often operate with impunity, making the trade a low-risk/high-profit business. Today, it is the fifth most profitable illicit trade in the world, estimated at up to $10 billion annually.
WWF is leading a global campaign to stop wildlife crime.
We are applying the strength of our worldwide network, our influence with partners and governments, and the passion of our supporters to a crisis that is threatening to undo years of conservation progress. The past year has already yielded some big wins like Thailand’s ban on their ivory trade and support from champions such as U.S. President Barack Obama. Join our campaign and help us:
Push governments to protect threatened animal populations by increasing law enforcement, imposing strict deterrents, reducing demand for endangered species products and honoring international commitments made under CITES.
Speak up on behalf of those on the frontlines being threatened by armed poachers so they are properly equipped, trained and compensated.
Reduce demand for illegal wildlife parts and products by encouraging others to ask questions and get the facts before buying any wildlife or plant product.
As a matter of fact, we have set up an automated monthly payment which I am matching BTW, every month. Thanks for the help and for your participation in stopping all wildlife crime. If you want to donate direct to the WWF for the Stopping of All Wild Life Crimes, please click here (https://secure3.convio.net/eii/site/D...).
I did one video for a charity one day using the GoPro footage and I am NOT sure what happened because I went off doing at least one for all of our Sunset music artists. I had so much fun doing it. I never made a video before these ever in my life. Thanks again because it was fun to break away from my real work to do this creative work!
Also, please visit this artists web site at www.Richtaste.sunsetrecordings.com and visit Sunset Records at anytime at www.sunsetrecordings.com.
Overall, thanks for the great support because we had almost 15K views in less than a month before the YouTube officials flagged it, deleted it, and started it over here for some reason that had something to do with us changing distributors. But whatever, and again, thanks for the support building these plays, etc. (again)...and most of all, we hope you enjoy the music and this music video!
