Please help us with our global conservation efforts, like protecting threatened species such as elephants from poaching, and make a monthly gift of $15 to WWF today.
| | Dear buzzhairs,
You understand that ivory doesn’t belong as jewelry, ornaments or souvenirs. So does Jim Nyamu.
A Kenyan native, Nyamu has dedicated his life and career to saving the dwindling elephant population from illegal poaching in Eastern Africa.
Shortly after receiving a grant from WWF to help advance his conservation career, Nyamu cofounded the Elephant Neighbors Center, a non-governmental organization whose mission is to protect African elephants and secure landscape for the endangered species outside protected areas. He and his colleagues are working to change national policy and draw attention to the issues and dangers of wildlife poaching through grassroots efforts.
Walking for a cause
Last month, Nyamu raised awareness by walking more than 650 miles from Massai Mara to Nairobi on a campaign called Ivory Belongs to Elephants. He traversed the largest elephant ecosystem in Kenya, the Tsavo, in February to raise awareness of elephant conservation; His walk in June was the second leg of the campaign and twice the length of the previous journey. "My last walk was a success because since then, the level of killings of elephants drastically reduced from the usual five to two or one elephants. Initially you would hear of five and above elephants killed by poachers," said Nyamu.
Nyamu's walk has ended, but the fight to stop illegal poaching and increase efforts to protect elephants still continues. WWF works to push governments to protect threatened animal populations and reduce demand for illegal wildlife parts and products. Nyamu is a wonderful example of how one individual can make a difference in this ongoing effort.
In Africa alone, we lose tens of thousands of elephants a year to wildlife crime.
How you can help
Like Nyamu, many others are recognizing wildlife crime as an urgent threat. Just last month, President Obama committed major support for stopping wildlife trafficking in the United States and globally, giving a critical boost to rangers on the ground, local conservation groups and decision-makers around the world.
But there is still a long way to go. Elephants, rhinos and tigers cannot survive high levels of poaching for long, and high-level traders and kingpins are rarely arrested, prosecuted, convicted or punished for their crimes.
Join us to help stop wildlife crime and protect species and wild places around the world. There is not a moment to lose--now's the time to act!
Please make a monthly donation of $15 to help WWF shut down the trade and protect species and habitats worldwide.
Photo credits: Elephant © Peter Chadwick/WWF-Canon; Jim Nyamu © Courtesy of Anthony Gitau; Herd of African elephants (Loxodonta africana), Tsavo, Kenya © WWF-UK/WWF | | |  |
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