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Protecting Elephants and their Habitats

The reports from Africa and Asia are absolutely terrifying. Ivory poachers are killing an average of one elephant EVERY DAY... and unless we take immediate action, the killings will increase at the end of November.

The vast majority of African and Asian countries are fighting to save elephants, but a powerful minority in southern Africa wants to reopen the trade in elephant ivory.

Their proposal will be accepted or rejected at the November meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Santiago, Chile.

The mere suggestion of a renewed ivory trade has already spawned a wave of elephant killings across Asia and Africa, so if these proposals succeed, elephant herds will be decimated.

IT IS NOT TOO LATE to stop the slaughter. We urgently need you to take action, tell your friends and family about this campaign. We need a massive show of support, so please do it right now. At this point every minute counts for the elephants.

The battle to save Africa and Asia’s last remaining elephant herds could be decided in the next few weeks. Now more than ever, please lend a hand by signing the petition below!

read petition letter ▾

Dear Ambassador:


I am extremely concerned about the South African Government's intentions to resume trade in ivory later this year.


History has clearly shown that the trade in ivory cannot be controlled. In the period 1981 to 1989, the African elephant population decreased from approximately 1.2 million animals to 650,000, this decrease largely due to the illegal ivory trade. By 1998, approximately 80% of traded ivory originated from illegal sources.


I respectfully request that you bring ,my deep concern to the attention of the South African Government and recommend that South Africa reconsider its position and withdraw its proposal on the following grounds:


The trade in ivory cannot be controlled.
The sale of stockpiled ivory will encourage illegal trade, poaching and further stockpiling.
Many African and Asian elephant range states do not have adequate enforcement measures in place to prevent poaching, which is impacting negatively on elephant populations in certain parts of their range.


  • Many African elephant range states do not have the capacity to implement reliable monitoring systems (MIKE) to monitor the effects of CITES decisions on elephant poaching and illegal trade.

  • Not all elephant range states support the southern African proposals (e.g. Kenya, India, Mali).

  • Poaching does not only affect the African savannah elephant but also the African forest elephant (now considered a separate species) as well as the Asian elephant (numbers much lower than the African elephant species).

  • Little is known about the threats of the trade in elephant meat for the commercial bushmeat trade but evidence suggests that this trade is relevant in certain parts of the African elephant's range.

  • There is substantial uncertainty regarding the effects of the political turmoil in Zimbabwe on Zimbabwean elephant populations.

  • Elephant range has decreased dramatically due to habitat fragmentation and human encroachment.

  • A large percentage of the African elephant population is confined to small, pocketed areas where they are easy targets for poachers.

  • There is also uncertainty around the potential negative effects of drought on elephant populations in many African elephant range states - while it is known that in certain parts of their range, African elephant populations are being affected.



    In the light of the prevailing uncertainty, a precautionary approach should be adopted when the Southern African ivory proposals are considered.
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