Anti-Poaching Organizations: Fighting Behind Enemy Lines

Yesterday i spoke on poaching and the evil trade that it is. Today, i want to draw your attention to those organizations that focus primarily on defeating the elephants' enemies through campaigns. Yes...the poachers worst nightmare...anti-poaching organizations! I have identified specifically five of them working effortlessly to keep the elephants alive. They go everyday on the battle field, and a dangerous one at that because they have to learn to beat the poachers at their own game...they quite literally fight behind enemy lines. Let's get to know these brave ones, shall we?

1. Bloody Ivory Campaign
This campaign born out of the Born Free Foundation (no pun intended ;) ) is focused on stopping the ivory trade through a campaign where people all over the world can sign petitions that will assist in curbing this issue. It also highlights the plight of Babile Elephant Sanctuary in Ethiopia and encourages donations to the Foundation. Its campaign is focused on addressing the enforcement of strong laws at national and international levels for the effective conviction and disruption of trade networks. It also seeks to advocate for the closure of domestic markets as par the instituted ban by CITES (The United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and in addition, educate consumers to stem the demand for ivory. If that won't save them, i don't know what will!

2. Ivory For Elephants (IFE)
IFE is a registered charity that comprises of a team of marketing and advertising professionals that are passionate about saving the elephant. Testament to the phrase YOLO (You Only Live Once), these people have focused their energies on helping to elephants live another day! Their focus is on raising awareness on the plight of elephants through its supporting partners to the public. It seeks to perform among many things, the education of ivory consumers on the effects of the trade on elephant populations. It also is in the process of creating a mass of support from celebrities,  influential individuals, corporations, government institutions and last but not definitely least, the youth. This is they do to help stop the trade by using the power of the social and traditional media to spread the word to reach as many people as possible. They create engaging educational print and online media products and also seek to develop a comprehensive database of supporters. They  secure company sponsorships for on-ground projects and generate funds from individual and corporate sponsors. See...a lot can be done for the elephant!

3. IWORRY Campaign
A campaign created by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in 2012, IWORRY is indeed the answer to all elephants worries. :) It exists to raise awareness the threats facing the elephant. It specifically calls for world governments to strengthen and implement laws against wildlife crime, completely ban domestic and international ivory trade, destroy all ivory stock piles including those confiscated, invest in border-force training for personnel including provision of equipment for the better identification of illegal wildlife products and resources for combating wildlife crime, investment into the personnel and tackling of corruption linked to the trade. IWORRY utilises social media to make statements, make petitions, use imagery, perform press and public marches...all to create awareness the impact of the ivory trade. Talk about 'worrying' our hearts out! :)

4. International Fund For Animal Welfare (IFAW)
IFAW is quite literally as said in super hero cartoons 'to the rescue!' Specifically, IFAW is involved in the rescue of animals such as elephants through not only protecting its habitat but also protecting them against poaching. IFAW, established in 1969 was involved in events that saw the destruction of ivory stockpiles and presently campaigns against any future sales of stockpiles. It conducts behaviour change communication campaigns in consumer countries and provides training of anti-poaching experts in several countries.  Quite shocking is that ivory buyers are unaware of the adverse impact of the trade. In fact, a survey done in China indicated that about 70% of the public did not know that ivory came from dead elephants but rather that it fell out naturally like teeth! Go figure??!!

5. Born Free Foundation
The Born Free Foundation as highlighted above is an international wildlife charity established in 1984 by actors Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna and their son Will Travers having starred in the film... you guessed right, Born Free! Its focus is on stopping the individual suffering of wild animals and the protection of threatened species. Born Free quite literally never forgets an individual and focuses on rescuing, providing and caring for animals. With an enormous track record, they are presently involved in the sponsorship of an anti-poaching team in Park W in Burkina Faso known as Team Elephant. It is composed of 24 rangers and a number of volunteers in the business of protecting elephants over a 2500 square km radius. Only one problem...the trouble makers are a matter of fact...highly organized criminal gangs out for blood! This has been attributed to the increase in poaching crisis in the West and Central African regions where no more than 7000 elephants fight to survive!

Unfortunately, with a death toll of about 30,000 elephants a year, the remaining population of less than 700,000 African elephants are running out of time! Like these organizations, we need to take the bull by its horns! We need to help fight the war on poaching and the ivory trade. I cannot emphasize this enough...spread the word, sign a petition, fund an organization!
Can i count on you to help fight the enemy?