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We, the Undersigned, endorse the following petition:

Protecting Elephants and their Habitats

Target: South African Embassy
Sponsor: Int'l Fund for Animal Welfare&Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Signatures: 2,326
  • Goal: 10,000
  • Deadline: 9-18-2003
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!


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Number Date Name City The ivory trade makes no sense becasue...
2,330 10:46 am PST, Nov 5 Marisa Sebastian V Itīs sickening to allow the murdering of these majestic and highly sociable animals just to adorn vain and selfish individuals or their homes!! We have NO RIGHT to do this! BAN IT COMPLETELY NOW!!
2,329 8:08 am PDT, Aug 18 Srishti Kapoor Mumbai  
2,328 1:26 pm PDT, Jul 21 greta malkotzoglou Athens  
2,327 11:10 am PDT, Jul 10 Laurel Watson Maricopa  
2,326 4:41 pm PDT, Jul 6 Bonnie McNamee Petaluma  
2,325 9:19 am PDT, Jun 25 Jessica Van Dyke West Des Moines  
2,324 2:01 pm PDT, Jun 23 Frankie Clarke liverpool Why should we? What gives us the right to kill theses fabulous, LIVING animals?
2,323 7:12 am PDT, Jun 21 marion cortes Englewood  
2,322 7:35 pm PDT, Jun 16 Blake Jansens Gold Coast What gives us the right to slaughter these magnificent creatures.We are trying to protect and preserve this fragile world, and by lifting these laws we are not moving forward, but only backwards. When will we learn that possestions are not everthing. LEAVE THESE GIANTS ALONE!
2,321 7:25 am PDT, May 14 Emily Travis Somerset if it continues there won't be any ivory to trade any more so why not stop now with a choice, & save an animal's exsistance rather than later when this beautiful animal is exstint & there is no more ivory because there are no elephants for it to "grow" on.
2,320 10:33 pm PDT, May 11 Tierschuetzern Katerini Katerini  
2,319 6:03 am PDT, Apr 25 Anonymous Denver  
2,318 12:57 pm PDT, Apr 12 Laurel Watson Maricopa  
2,317 8:51 am PDT, Apr 4 Anonymous Wauconda  
2,316 4:03 pm PDT, Apr 3 Anonymous Espanola It will eventually cause Elephants to vanish from our planet.
2,315 12:28 pm PDT, Apr 1 Dietmar Langhammer Geretsried since i live elephants are my favourite pets. Would like to live in their country to have one in its own region. Thats the fact about me. But the fact about many humans is, that they hunt elephants for money reasons. Just for fears about "their" farms, or more bad because the like hunting. Now we live far away from the stonetime, and need not to hunt. Hunting for fun is cruelty to us, because we are nature, too. Stopp killing elephants!
2,314 12:07 pm PDT, Mar 30 barb southworth cambridge  
2,313 11:17 am PDT, Mar 30 Nancy Lion-Storm Livermore Humans share the planet with a handful of equally intelligent, sentient species that should be accorded the same rights as homo sapiens. I am signing this petition because scientists have recorded enough video evidence to prove that elephants have culture and society. They are thinking, self-aware creatures, that teach their young (pass down learned lessons), and mourn and memorize their dead. Surely this all proves that elephants should be treated with rights equal to that of humans.
2,312 3:53 am PDT, Mar 17 Emmy Undem Vienna Poaching is a disgusting crime not only against wildlife but against future generations of human beings who will be deprived of the amazing and beautiful animals we take for granted today.
2,311 4:19 pm PDT, Mar 13 Anonymous Westminster the ends do not justify the means. These wonderful animals should not be slaughtered for ornimental purposes.
2,310 4:59 pm PST, Feb 25 Yliana Rojas Calgary Elephants and their Habitats should be protected
2,309 9:28 am PST, Feb 25 Ria Smit Amsterdam  
2,308 7:16 am PST, Feb 15 Elizabeth Burlock Mitchell  
2,307 7:37 am PST, Feb 12 Anonymous delaplane  
2,306 11:23 am PST, Feb 10 Anonymous Glendale "the destruction and fragmentation" of their habitats has put elephants on the endangered species list.
2,305 9:33 am PST, Feb 8 Robert JL Thompson Portland Global Warming is a bigger risk to elephants than poachers. We need to begin irrigating Amboseli Park, nurture the wetlands and create large shade structures for the elephants and other wildlife. It is no longer a safe place and must be stewarded as if it were a large zoo exhibit.
2,304 7:23 pm PST, Jan 25 Jude Price Adelaide All ivory is is "dentine" or tooth material - that the aquisition of a few pounds of Ivory means the death of an entire elephant, and the devestating impact on the family of the elephant and unkown consequences for the environment. If you have to "own" something - sponsor a live orphan elephant at Daphne Sheldricks Elephant orphanage. We are the stewards of this planet and from here its looking very bleak indeed for the future of wildlife, people and environemnt. Please, take responsibility and stand up for the future.
2,303 10:12 am PST, Jan 24 Karen Gray Indianapolis  
2,302 10:33 pm PST, Jan 23 Kaye Brown Adelaide  
2,301 10:11 pm PST, Jan 23 Karrie Kern San Antonio  

Protecting Elephants and their Habitats


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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