The growth of mankind is damaging nature – our numbers are growing and so is our ignorance. Instead of being grateful to Mother Nature for the gift of life itself, an incredibly large number of people is consciously deciding to neglect the very real and very dangerous facts, and to simply continue with their destructive lifestyles.
This is one of those things where you can’t go back when you realize you’re making a mistake. If we keep this up, there won’t be a planet or the resources to help us bounce back. The first step towards our redemption should be learning to cohabitate peacefully with the wildlife that has as much right to roam the planet as we do, and doing our best to help preserve Earth’s diverse fauna.
Elephants are Going Extinct
For fifteen million years elephants have walked the Earth, but their numbers have been decreasing dramatically during the past couple of centuries. This fact isn’t just alarming, it is absolutely terrifying. Every fifteen minutes an elephant dies because of continuous ivory poaching. If we don’t act together on this problem now, there won’t be any elephants left by 2025.
Being a keystone species, elephants maintain a certain order in their ecosystem. The survival of many different animals and plants depends on this species, so with the loss of elephants we will also lose an entire ecosystem.
If this happens, the developing countries which are proud to be homes of these extraordinary animals will suffer the consequences as well.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Did you know that elephants have the very same cognitive behavior as humans? The can feel love and joy, and grieve for their losses and feel true fear.
Thanks to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, over 190 infant orphans were saved and successfully reintegrated into wild herds. This trust was founded in 1977 by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, a widely famous naturalist. This was her effort to conserve the wildlife, honor her late husband and preserve a long family tradition of protecting the environment.
It took Daphne three decades to perfect the milk formula necessary for orphaned elephants to survive and grow healthy and strong, so that they could be released back into the wild. A lifetime worth of experience has enabled Dr. Sheldrick, her family and every member of their organization to take effective actions that result in successful elephant and rhino rescue and rehabilitation.
Support This Cause & Save Our Planet
The elephant extinction would cause a chain reaction and it would have a direct effect on other animal species and mankind as well. The fact is you don’t have to move to Africa in order to help – you can make your contribution from your home, office or while you’re having a cup of coffee.
J. Crew and their “Garments for Good” campaign in collaboration with David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust enabled all of us to conveniently help this cause by getting one of their t-shirts. This nonprofit organization forwards all their funds to charity.
Participate in the Orphan’s Project
There’s another way you can make your contribution to elephant and rhino rescue and rehabilitation project – by adopting an orphaned infant and becoming their foster parent. Once you become a part of this project, you will receive a fostering certificate and a photo of your orphan via e-mail, with all their info, e.g. where they were found and the description of their habitat.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust will keep you updated about the monthly highlights of your elephant, so you’ll be able to see their photos, track their development and be included in their rehabilitation. They will also keep you posted about the latest news on fresh arrivals and basically everything that’s going on.
Building a Better Future for Mankind & Wildlife
Putting our best effort into helping with this cause is just a beginning, but also a great starting point. This is the final hour, and we’re all still able to do something to help revitalize our planet. It’s the only one we have, and every single individual on it is equally responsible for helping build a better future by contributing to good causes like this one for generations to come.
Photos by: Arlene St. Hilaire
Outfit: Zara Jeans, Sisley Coat, Zara Booties, David Sheldrick Sweatshirt at J.Crew, Rebecca Minkhoff Bag