THREATENED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT

We are one step closer...

February 11th 2015, marked the one year anniversary of the Obama campaigns's announcement to combat the multibillion dollar indusry that is the illegal wildlife trade. Included in the strategy were plans to restrict the sale of ivory by closing loopholes that have caused the U.S. ivory trade to flourish.

But we need to do more

While this was a big step forward in protecting the African elephants, we need to implement an even stronger set of rules to help population that have decimated over the recent years. Loss of habitat, killing for sport, human-elephant conflict, and most significantly poaching for ivory are to blame for the tens of thousands of elephant deaths each year. Even though the Endangered Species Act granted the elephants "threatened" status, their population has declined by 60% since the initial listing. 

Now that scientists are saying that African elephant mortalities are surpassing births, advocates for wildlife are racing to protect the species from extinction before its too late. The time has come for the U.S. to increase protection for the African elephant, which is why the IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) along with the Humane Society International decided to file a legal petition on February 11th with the U.S. Department of Interior to elevate the African elephants status from "threatened" to "endangered.”

African elephants numbers are in free fall, and the U.S. is in the unique position of power to protect them. “Threatened” is an understatement. How much longer can we wait? We must act now before these animals are only found in pictures or museums.

For information on how you can help visit IFAW’s campaign page:

http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/our-work/protecting-elephants

To help aid on site defense against elephant poachers visit: http://savetheelephants.org/protection/elephant-crisis-fund

AFRICAN EXTREMIST GROUPS BEHIND ELEPHANT MASSACRE

           ELEPHANT MASSACRE IN CENTRAL AFRICA

There has been an outburst of elephant poaching in Central Africa. FoxNews.com published the above picture of 3 African elephants dead due to the poaching outburst. "Some extremist groups were even shooting the animals form helicopters and then using chainsaws to rip off their valuable tusks", says Perry Chiaramonte of FoxNews.com. Sasha Lezhnev, Associate Director of Policy at the Enough project, which recently released a report on poaching, told FoxNews.com, "The LRA is one of the groups chiefly responsible for the elephant poaching, along with the South Sundanese poachers and Congolese army commanders." It is estimated that now, nearly 100 elephants are slaughtered for their Ivory tusks per day across Central Africa.

WHO ARE THE LRA?

The LRA has been active since 1986, making it one of Africa's most violent and persistent armed guerrilla groups. The LRA was created in Northern Uganda to fight against it's government, and operated there from 1986-2006, causing around 2 million people to be displaced. Since most of Uganda's public did not support the LRA, they forced recruitment to fill ranks and positions. In 2006 a study funded by UNICEF estimated at least 66,000 children and youth were abducted by the LRA between 1986-2005. The study found most children abducted were only half briefly before becoming child soldiers or trafficked as sex slaves.

Under increasing pressure, LRA leader Joseph Kony (ring any bells?), retreated the LRA from Uganda in 2005/2006 with intent to move west into the border region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and what would become the Republic of South Sudan. The LRA operates at these locations to date.

To help support defense against elephant poaching in Africa go to: http://savetheelephants.org/donate/ 

To help support defense against genocide and crimes against humanity go to: https://ssl1.americanprogress.org/o/507/donate_page/support-enough

Remember YOU can make a difference.