Elephant Trusts, Charities and Foundations: All For One, One For All

Last week, i touched lightly on the topic of foundations and trusts that have been on the forefront of the conservation of wildlife. I spoke of WWF and AWF as major organisations working for not only the African wildlife but also for the entire wildlife population. I also spoke of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which as we know is the world's most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program. This trust was granted charitable status in 2004 as a Charitable Company in the UK. In today's post, I focus on other trusts, charities and foundations working for the elephant around the world. I highlight five more first within Africa, in Asia and then the world.

1. Amboseli Trust For Elephants
Established by Dr. Cynthia Moss, the Amboseli Trust For Elephants is a not-for-profit trust on the forefront of elephant conservation and management with a focus on the Amboseli National Park elephants and surrounding ecosystems. In 1972, Dr. Moss founded the Amboseli Elephant Research Project making these elephants the longest studied populations in the world! The Trust also owns an endowment fund known as the African Elephant Conservation Trust whose objective is to ensure the continuation of elephant research through funding its projects.

2. Save The Elephants
Established over twenty years ago by Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Save the Elephants organisation is a UK registered charity and a force to reckon with in their plight to secure the future for elephants and sustain the ecological integrity of the places they live in. Through the set up of a long term study in Samburu, Northern Kenya, Mr. Douglas-Hamilton has nurtured a new generation of researchers and conservationists from the local area and around the world. The organisation focuses on the protection, research, awareness and study of human-elephant conflict.

3. Elephants For Africa
Founded by Dr. Kate Evans, Elephant for Africa is a registered charity in England and Wales committed to the protection of the African elephants. Together with her team, they have set up camp in Botswana and South Africa to conduct research on the ecological and social requirements of African elephants to help them understand the human-elephant conflict. With the help of local and international researchers, they deliver scientific data to local decision makers and run education programs to develop future conservation leaders.

4. Elephant Family
Elephant Family is a registered charity in England that focuses on the protection of the Asian elephants and their habitats. Founded by five conservationists who developed friendships with orphaned elephants, they have sought through experience to highlight the plight of this endangered species and to work through its conservation.They seek to lobby governments to take action, generate support from the human population, grow the local conservation movements through training and education, financially empower non-governmental organisations and secure sufficient funding for the programme.

5. International Elephant Foundation
IEF is a non-profit charitable bona fide organisation that is all for the elephant. It was founded by Michael Fouraker, the Executive Director of Fort Worth Zoo and is focused on the conservation of both the African and Asian elephant worldwide. With a proven track record, the IEF supports and operates elephant conservation and education programs in managed facilities and in the wild. Its emphasis is on management, protection and scientific research.

These five organisations are just a small representative of a larger group working for the conservation of the elephant. This goes to show how the spirit of unity can help save lives...indeed, as spoken by Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketteers,   "All for one and One for all". :)