CRISIS: Elephant extinction in your lifetime?
Jamie Rappoport Clark, Defenders of Wildlife
It simply breaks my heart to share this news with you.
At current levels of poaching, the African elephant could be extinct by the year 2030.
That tragic date is well within the lifetime of nearly everyone reading this email.
Defenders is fighting back – but we need to raise $150,000 by August 31st to sustain our efforts for elephants and other imperiled species.
Countdown to Extinction
Poaching has reached epidemic proportions. Tanzania, once the African elephant capital of the world, has lost two-thirds of its elephants to poachers in just four years. Across Africa, nearly 100 elephants perish every day. That's almost one every 15 minutes.
Armed poachers are like invading mercenaries, wiping out entire herds at a time. They are organized, sophisticated and lethal.
No elephant is safe.
And poaching isn’t the only threat these magnificent animals face. Elephant habitat disappears every day because of human encroachment. What’s worse – there’s still legal elephant hunting.
In other words, 2030 might be too optimistic.
But There’s Still Hope
To stop the extinction clock, we need to stop demand for ivory. And it starts here at home – did you know that the U.S. is the world’s second largest ivory importer?
Your urgent gift will help elephants by supporting Defenders’ work to:
-
Fight to stop the importation of imperiled big game "trophies" such as lions, elephants and rhinos;
-
Mobilize against Congressional efforts to weaken proposed restrictions on the domestic ivory trade;
-
Support legislation to enhance international anti-poaching efforts and impose stricter penalties for wildlife trafficking;
-
At the grassroots level, help enact state-wide ivory bans in key consuming states; and
-
Support protection for imperiled species at international wildlife fora such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Can you imagine the end of elephants on Earth? It doesn’t have to happen, but we’re running out of time.
Help Us Fight
Dollar-for-Dollar
African elephants could be extinct in just 15 years.
 |
$30 becomes $60 |
|
|
$50 becomes $100 |
|
|
$100 becomes $200 |
|
|
$250 becomes $500 |
Please make an urgent donation today – with the match, your gift will go twice as far!
For the wild,
 |
Jamie Rappaport Clark President, Defenders of Wildlife |