Watchtowers in trees, tripwire alarms, radio collars, chilli smoke and beehive fences: scientists and conservationists across Asia and Africa are coming up with safe and humane ways to keep elephants at bay and reduce conflict with humans. In early June, the agonising death of a pregnant wild elephant that ate an explosives-filled pineapple in India […]
Tag: elephants
Petition: Strengthen Animal Cruelty Laws in Sri Lanka to Protect Elephants
Have you ever scrolled through social media feed and seen a picture of someone riding an elephant, a video of an elephant painting, or some kind of post that included a wild animal in an unnatural environment? While these posts may seem cute or exciting, the reality for these wild animals tells a different story. […]
Calls for swift action as hundreds of elephants die in Botswana’s Okavango Delta
Nearly 400 elephants have died in Botswana’s Okavango Delta since March, in what wildlife experts say is one of the largest elephant mortality events ever recorded. Conservationists have criticized the government’s handling of the matter and are urging them to speed up investigations. Botwsana’s environment ministry registered the first of these unexplained elephant deaths in […]
Petition: Brutal Footage Released of Training Practices Used to Break the Spirits of Baby Elephants to Entertain Tourists
World Animal Protection released footage of an elephant training process called “the crush.” In this method, baby elephants are exploited to make them submissive to tourists. Baby and adult elephants are used in entertainment around the world, including giving rides to tourists or performing tricks. “The Crush” is designed to break animals spirits, and according […]
Namibia culls elephants to ‘protect crops and farmers’
Ten elephants have been shot by wildlife authorities in Namibia as part of a cull after the animals moved into farming areas, destroying crops during harvest season. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said the elephants were culled as they endangered human lives and were marked as dangerous. Romeo Muyunda added […]
Petition: Zoos and Aquariums Must Help Stop Zoonotic Diseases that Kill Millions of People Annually!
In Defense of Animals is calling for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to help stop zoonotic diseases at zoos. In an emailed statement, the organization urges the AZA to stop transmission between animals and humans, like the one that resulted in a Bronx Zoo tiger being affected by coronavirus. Tuberculosis is another disease […]
Botswana Elephants Win a Reprieve as Virus Keeps Hunters at Home
Botswana’s controversial plan to resume elephant hunting has been largely thwarted by the global coronavirus pandemic, winning many of the 277 animals earmarked to be shot this year a reprieve. The country, which has the world’s biggest population of the animals, last year enraged conservationists by lifting a hunting ban that had been in place […]
Only a new law will stop the tourist trade from profiting from cruel elephant “attractions”
Feeling trapped and bored our of your mind, and pining for friends and family? That’s life every day for elephants exploited by the tourist trade in Asia. You can help fight this shameful abuse by signing a petition calling on parliament to ban the marketing and sale of holidays that include cruel elephant “attractions”. Most […]