South Africa: Don't strip protections for elephants!

  • by: Georgina B
  • recipient: President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma

The situation for the elephants of Africa is dire with more elephants killed by poachers each year than are born. Between 2010 and 2013, Africa lost an average of 7 percent of its entire elephant population each year.

The current rate of killing could see the African elephant go extinct by 2020.  At a time when protection of the remaining herds should be increased, proposed amendments by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to remove all welfare-based provision relating to elephants by changing the Elephant Norms and Standards in South Africa could allow the removal of elephants from the wild for captivity.

Shockingly, the proposed changes could also allow elephants to be exported out of South Africa, opening up trade routes to launder elephants to the highest bidder.

The Elephant Norms and Standards were created in 2008 with the intention of preventing new elephants from undergoing the brutality of captive industries such as circuses and elephant rides, as well as the protection of the environment where wild elephants reside.

The proposed amendments could have devastating consequences for the remaining elephants of South Africa. They are in desperate need of more protection, not less.

Please sign and share the petition to demand no decrease in the protection of the elephants of South Africa.

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