The Gourma region of Mali is home to one of only two desert elephant herds in the world with approximately 550 elephants. But conservationists warn that without government support and intervention, Mali's desert desert elephants could go extinct in 3 years. In 2015, 80 desert elephants were killed and another 16 elephants were killed in January 2016. Poaching and habitat loss have caused their numbers to drop from tens of thousands to low hundreds.
While the government did send army forces to monitor the elephants, Susan Canney, director of Mali Elephant Project for the WILD Foundation, tells Reuters that the Malian government can and should be doing more: "Mali is standing by while the elephants are being slaughtered ... If we continue at this rate, they will all be gone in three years."
Sign and share this petition demanding the Malian government do more to protect one of the last desert elephant herds in the world now.
