Yesterday, Monday, one of Africa’s—and our planet’s—last great elephants was killed. He was in prime breeding age, beloved, an attraction to tourists who help turn the poaching industry into a nature industry.

“Poachers kill one of Africa’s last remaining ‘big tusker’ elephants.”

“‘Luckily, through the work we do with the Kenyan Wildlife Service, we were able to find the carcass before the poachers could recover the ivory,” said Moller.

The elephant, named after another giant killed in 2014, was beloved by visitors to the park. Moller said about 15 tuskers, named for impressive tusks that nearly scrape the ground, remained in Kenya out of an estimated worldwide population of 25. “They are icons, they are ambassadors for elephants,” he said…”

What can we do?

If you’re interested in donating, there’s a group of former soldiers running an anti-poaching group in Africa. http://www.iapf.org/en/

Wildlife crime is sweeping the planet. The illegal trafficking of wildlife is now one of the >world’s largest criminal industries, with repeated links to terrorism networks. High Target Species such as elephant and rhino are being hunted to extinction. These >animals are the most difficult to protect, as poachers go to the most extreme lengths >to kill them. If we can safeguard these animals, then entire ecosystems are protected.

The founder’s Ted Talk:

Just two years ago, his predecessor was killed: World’s Biggest Elephant Killed by Poachers in Kenya – He was killed by a poisoned arrow. Poachers hacked off the face & tusk of Satao, who is reported to have been exceptionally intelligent.

“The number of African elephants has fallen by about 111,000 to 415,000 over the past decade, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.”