Global March for Elephants and Rhinos
4th October 2014
133 global marches to end the illegal ivory and horn trade
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Start of the Liverpool march outside St. Lukes a.k.a The Bombed-Out Church;
at the top of Bold St., around the corner from China Town! |
Whether you're a passionate wildlife nerd like me, or an admirer of the natural world (just not if its raining), or someone who has just been bombarded with pictures and posts on Facebook or twitter, about some nonsense to do with elephants and rhinos and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Welcome!
One hundred and thirty three marches took place around the world yesterday, to raise public and political awareness of the plight of elephants and rhinos.
Those who do not know, you may be thinking "bloody hell, haven't they saved them yet??", the answer is we're trying - desperately.
Over the last 10 years, sales in ivory and rhino horn have grown exponentially; in order for these 'products' to be obtained, elephants and rhinos are killed and their faces are hacked off. Sometimes, they're still alive.
Elephant tusks - ivory - is made into ornaments and is a symbol if wealth within Asian, though predominantly, Chinese communities (North American is actually the second largest consumer of ivory - this must not be forgotten in this campaign). Last year, the Chinese government authorised the creation of new ivory carving factories and new outlets to sell the finished products in; despite turning up for the United for Wildlife conference earlier this year, very little has been heard about what China is doing to combat this issue.
The word 'issue' makes it sound trivial...
In 2013, 33,000 elephants were slaughtered for ivory.
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| 83,000 elephants were estimated to have been poached between 2011-2013 |
One every 15 minutes.
Within Africa, we're facing the same crisis as the culls of the early 1990's (Kruger and Pilanesberg) experienced; calves are losing their families. They heavily rely on their mothers and maternal families for the greater part of their early life - for females, their entire life; without this support and knowledge passed to the next generation, calves are growing up (if indeed, they survive) to uncertain and potentially conflict-ridden futures. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is just one organisation that fosters these orphaned calves, with the hope of returning them to the wild.
It doesn't stop with African elephants; Asian elephants are being targeted too. Within the four subspecies of Asian elephant (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumatran and Bornean pygmy), females do not produce tusks (some produce tushes - teeny, tiny tusks), males can produce tusks, but not all do (not that its a choice!).
This may not seem like such a grave situation, as the one faced by Africa's savannah and forest elephants; yet, there are only around 40,000 Asian elephants across all four subspecies, and this targeting of males with tusks means there will be a higher ratio of female to male elephants, they then cannot pass on the 'tusk' gene. Asian elephant families are also being targeted for their calves for the tourism industry - please. do not give money for a street-begging elephant, or visit elephant camps for rides; you're simply fueling this unethical industry.
The role elephants and rhinos play within their habitats, ecosystems and environments is enormous.
Whilst elephants are losing their tusks, rhinos are losing their horns.
Rhinos are losing their horns to pseudo beliefs that it can cure cancers and ailments, as well as being used as an aphrodisiac.
If that were true, science and research would have found a positive correlation between people who bite their fingernails and being the healthiest people on the planet, with no problems between the sheets (for want of a better word).
After all, rhino horn is made from the same stuff as your fingernails are - keratin.
Between 2011-2013, it has been estimated that 2,120 rhinos were poached; during this time, the Western Black Rhino was declared extinct in the wild.
How does that make you feel?
It is estimated, that at the current rates of poaching, rhinos will be extinct in the wild by 2020 - that's just five and a half years away.
It is estimated that elephants would have been poached to extinction by 2025, if the current poaching rates continue -10 years.
Nevermind people saying this will affect your grandchildren, or this will affect your children's future -
Extinction is in your lifetime...
How does that make you feel?
How do you feel about losing two of the planets most awe-inspiring animals?
I know how I feel.
I feel sick. I get chills. I get uncomfortable in my skin, that this could so easily happen on my watch. I feel ashamed that I am apart of the species that would allow this to happen. I feel disgusted that we could allow this to happen.
I'm part of the species that is financially profiting from the extinction of two of my fellow earthlings.
For a conservationist, for an environmentalist, for an animal-lover, it feels like your standing in the middle of a packed room, screaming at the top of your lungs and no-one turns to look.
I'm one of the lucky ones; I've watched elephants in their natural habitats.
I, however, refuse to allow this to happen on my watch.
I will not be part of the generation that stood back and watched.
Global March for Elephants and Rhinos
Liverpool, UK
Of the 133 marches that took place around the world, I attended my local one which, for a change, actually was local!
It was the first time the march has gone through Liverpool - organised by the incredible Hazel Jones - the turn out was brilliant, amazing local support, and a lot of videos and photos were taken by passing tourists and residents!
Tim Ellis read out his inspiring poems ('Rhinoceros' and '600 elephants' were incredible!!).
We even had a song especially written and performed for our event - End the Slaughter by Dvid Beethoven; it is absolutely fantastic, please, please, please check it out and share share share!!!
Andrew Foreshaw did a sterling job as chant leader, and Ray Knowles gave a wonderful speech about working with the late David Sheldrick, to name but a few contributors. I met some incredible people and new friends, and I know that we're all going to keep marching to save elephants and rhinos, right to the end.
To march with people to the beat of the same drum, allows you to feel as though there is still hope. There is still a chance the people who write the laws, can change things, all with the stroke of a pen. Knowing that thousands upon thousands are marching to the beat of the same drum across the world, gives you goosebumps - the good kind.
London had some incredible talks - as you've already seen Ian Redmond's brilliant speech. Dominic Dyer , Simon Jones and
Nicky Campbell gave a passionate and inspiring speeches too, that you
need to check out!
I know that this is not a sprint but a marathon, but the stopwatch is set for sprint. We need urgent and immediate action; we need to support our rangers, risking life and limb to save our incredible wildlife; we need to raise awareness in the East and the West; we need wildlife crimes to be dealt with on a global level - as an international crime, from the poachers, to the exporters, to the carvers and consumers, to the law makers - every link in the poaching chain has blood on its hands.
As controversial as China's one child policy is, it has successfully curbed the population growth of the country (something more countries should be doing, but that's for another time!).
The pen is mightier than the sword.
China could end the poaching crisis overnight.
Extinction is forever.
Not on my watch.
