In an effort to raise international awareness of the immediate need to protect rapidly diminshing wildlife from poaching, Wildlife artist, Richard Symonds has been making banners and cover photos for facebook. His artwork has gone wildly viral. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) asked Symonds to create a banner for them. The banner has been circulated in excess of 3,000 shares around the world!
Symonds has created banners for public use that include translation for the Chinese and Japanese social media campaigns with DSWT.
All are invited AND encouraged to copy and share these banners on ALL social media networking platforms. It will take the actions of the individuals of the entire international community to assure our precious wildlife is protected. Example banners are below.
Also find below, a link to the URGENT CITES CoP16 Petition calling for an immediate ban on international ivory trade. This petition is in need of worldwide signatures.
Poachers move in quickly using chain saws, machetes, axes and hunting knives, to cut the tusks from elephants, often while they are still alive. They leave the faceless, innocent, sentient being in agonizing pain to die. The poachers will often wipe out an entire elephant family at one time. Many of the elephants are pregnant or are nursing babies. The babies are left traumatized and alone to starve, to die of exposure or to be fed upon by the lions.
Rangers by hundreds patrol the vast acres of land in Africa where the elephants are constantly on the move. The rangers rarely have even the most basic of needed supplies and are generally unarmed, no match for poachers using high-powered automatic rifles and cutting-edge weaponry. Many of the rangers die in the process of protecting the elephants that they have grown to love.
Why is this happening? Greed ~ They do this for profit from the ivory trade. The bulk of the ivory ends up in China, who has made a mockery of international bans on ivory. The Chinese feed the market by purchasing trinkets made of ivory, which has become a national symbol of status. But China is not the only villain in this heinous crime against our wildlife. Trophy hunters from around the world, pay exorbitant amounts of money for permission to kill elephants. And . . . countries around the world, use ivory for numerous reasons, including the creation of religious icons. However, worldwide spiritual and religious leaders are beginning to become active in banning the trade of ivory.
Recently the Vatican spoke out against ivory trade. In January of 2013, after groups and individual activists in mass, wrote letters, placed phone calls and signed petitions, THE VATICAN condemned the poaching of elephants. Father Frederico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See Press Office in the Vatican, referencing Catholic tradition, made the following statement:
“We are absolutely convinced that the massacre of elephants is a very serious matter, against which it is right that everyone who can do something should be committed,” . . .
“Creation is entrusted to humanity to be cultivated and safeguarded as a precious gift received from the Creator and therefore should not be destroyed, treated violently, or exploited but rather treated with great responsibility toward the creatures themselves and toward future human generations so that they might be able to enjoy these essential and marvelous goods.”
Up until now, the world has looked to international governments to protect this highly endangered species, but to date, the governments have failed. It is now up to the international community to assure that the African elephant is saved from extinction. Environmentalists, Religious and Spiritual Groups, Non-Profit Organizations, Private Groups, Celebrities and Millions of Individuals worldwide have delared an all-out war on poachers who are obliterating our African Elephants for profit from the ivory trade. The massacre of near 40,000 elephants per year (60-100 per day) has become the greatest environmental crime on our planet. It is now estimated that if the trade of ivory is not banned worldwide, the African Elephant will be extinct by the year 2020.
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IN ONLY A FEW SECONDS,
THE WWF COMMERCIAL AGAINST IVORY TRADE MAKES IT’S POINT
WATCH THIS 30-SECOND VIDEO BELOW:
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It is up to every individual to assume a sense of responsibility
and to take action to save this majestic, gentle species we call “Our Elephants.”
When individuals take action ~ we become a group of millions.
Help raise public awareness and influence empathy and compassion for this urgent need.
Write letters, place phone calls, sign petitions,
use every social media networking platform available,
Facebook, Twitter, Blog Sites . . . they are all free international tools to let your voice be heard.
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Blessings on those who from a place of empathy and compassion
lend voice to innocent, sentient, living beings
who cannot speak for themselves.
THE FIGHT IS ON.
~Gerean Pflug for The Animal Spirits
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PLEASE TAKE ACTION:
TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION BY SIGNING THE WORLDWIDE C.I.T.E.S. PETITION:
This article was written by Gerean Pflug, 2/5/13, All Rights Reserved ~ Permission is granted to reblog, copy and repost this article in full, as long as links back to this page are present on the copy. Copies of part of this article must be requested in writing via email to: Animalspirits222@aol.com
To all who follow “The Animal Spirits” blog ~ At the writting of these words,, the ivory trade is obliterating our planet’s elephants. The crisis is worsening by THE DAY. There is an urgent need for EVERY individual to let their voice be heard in defense of our remaining elephant population. We need every government, every religious/spiritual group, every activist, every single individual on this planet to unite. Please find the petition for CoP16 within the body of this post and sign. Additionally, please sign any other petitions that you find or cross your path. We can write letters, make phone calls, blog & reblog, post to Facebook, Tweet and email. There are people across the world dropping what they are doing to go into the countries where the poachers are basically cutting the faces off live elephants to take their tusks to sell for ivory trinkets. The elephant is left in agony to die. Many of them are pregnant. Many of them have newborn babies who cannot survive without their mothers. The elephants are traumatized, depressed and anxiety ridden. This is worldwide issue is so incredibly URGENT that we absolutely must push to raise public awareness, eliminate apathy and influence IMMEDIATE action because . . . there is very little time left. Please see video. Please educate yourself. Please sign the petiton(s). Please take action.
Blessings on those who take action and lend voice to innocent, sentient, living beings who cannot speak for themselves.
Please click the link below to find out exactly what you need to do!!
It’s very easy & simple…everything you need is in the link below, including a pre-drafted letter; you just need to find the people to send it to from where you live, the email addresses are included for each country (just below the letter)
PLEASE HELP...sign share of FaceBook & Twitter. On March 16th WE MUST…
I cry . . . and then I reblog and share on my social networking platforms. Every individual action taken to lend voice to innocent, sentient, living being matters. Every living being matters. Please show compassion in action. ~Gerean Pflug for The Animal Spirits
THE ANIMAL SPIRITS 
