How to Save Elephants
Some of the world's iconic creatures face extinction due to being killed for their assets. The elephant has been hunted over the years for its ivory tusks which are used to produce ornaments, jewelry and other items such as piano keys. The elephant is listed under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix 1 (extremely threatened), however, there are a number of things that you can do to help towards ensuring the elephant's survival.
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Instructions
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Do not buy ivory products. Buying anything that is made from ivory proves that there is still a demand. In many countries, trading in ivory is illegal and ivory hunting is deemed as poaching. Decreasing the demand for ivory will make it less worthwhile for poachers to risk killing elephants and they will look for other ways to make money.
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Give donations to elephant-saving conservation groups. There are a number of charities dedicated to the research of elephants and highlighting their plight. These groups rely on donations to be able to pay for the research, which includes investigations into the impact of human encroachment and the monitoring of elephant populations. Another example are groups that take care of elephant orphans in preparation for releasing them into the wild.
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Volunteer with an elephant conservation group. You can actively help out by taking care of elephants in refuges, and helping with elephant counts and fund-raising efforts. This is the most active way you can be involved with saving the elephant.
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Go on elephant-orientated safaris. In many of the national parks where elephants live, the money raised by the tourist trade is the only reason for ensuring the elephant's safety. By going on safari and paying the national park fees you are helping to pay for the fencing and ranger patrols to help keep the elephants safer from poachers. Money generated from elephant-tourism can also convince governments of the practical reasons to have them around and not be involved in the ivory trade.
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References
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