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…
NEW DELHI: The sight of poorly fed and badly treated bears being forced to dance on the streets of India is a thing of the past as a campaign to wipe out the practice has finally borne fruit, activists say.
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and India-based Wildlife SOS, which runs sanctuaries for bears, have also declared an end to the practice in the last few months, 40 years after a government ban in 1972.
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HISTORY
Since the 13th century, bears have been forced to dance for the entertainment of humans.
In India, bear cubs were purchased from poachers for about $22.00
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THE PROCESS OF FORCE
The process of force began by hammering a hot iron rod through a cub’s sensitive snout.
The bear cub’s teeth and claws were removed
A threaded rope was inserted through the snout so that the bear can be forced to perform “tricks.”
Humans forced the bear to the streets and for the price of a few rupees, initiated pain to force the bear to sway and jump
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THE SUFFERING OF THE BEARS
Removed from their mothers as cubs
Loss of freedom
Terror
Extreme Pain
Infected Snouts
Infected and damaged root canals
Untreated tuberculosis contracted from humans
Malnutrtion
Abuse
Neglect
Exploitation
Death
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PROGRESS & ACTION
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and India-based Wildlife SOS, which runs sanctuaries for bears, have also declared an end to the practice in the last few months, 40 years after a government ban in 1972.
Donation-funded groups, have been influencing exploiters of these innocent, living beings to stop this inhumane practice by providing them with money and incentives to re-train in other professions. One example of many: After six years of moving from place-to-place with three captive bears in tow, one man handed over his bears to Wildlife Trust of India officers, who offered his family financial assistance and helped him and his younger brother learn driving skills.
“India is changing rapidly and this is an outmoded, inhumane tradition. The ‘trainers’ themselves realise now that it is far easier for them to earn a living doing other jobs,” Menon of WTI
Note: Success in actions taken to end this travesty is opening opportunities for other campaigns, such as the one to rid India of its snake charmers who can still be spotted illegally plying their trade, often with the snakes’ mouths sewn shut.
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THE CONTINUING NEED
Menon of the WTI says that the dancing bear industry was also “a dominant cause behind the disappearance of the sloth bear”, a focus at the bear conference which focused on conservation and welfare.
In the last three decades, the number of sloth bears, a species native to South Asia, has fallen by at least 30 per cent, according to the IUCN-SSC Bear Specialist Group (BSG). There are now less than 20,000 of them.
“The widespread poaching of bear cubs and the killing of mother bears clearly affects the population of the species,” ~ Menon (WTI)
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Any action taken to protect an innocent, sentient, living being makes a difference.
Every click, share, comment,
tweet, blog post, reblog,
letter written, phone call placed and donation made
reaches thousands.
Blessings on those who give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.
THE ANIMAL SPIRITS 