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Dear Friend of Wildlife, A report released earlier this year confirmed that poachers slaughtered 100,000 elephants in Africa in just three years. 100,000 elephants: their majestic bodies and intelligent eyes reduced to lifeless heaps. Entire herds destroyed. Mothers, young, all killed in cold blood. More elephants are now being killed in Africa than are being born. This is what the path to extinction looks like. Is this grim? Yes. Is it heart-wrenching? Absolutely. Is it a reason to give up hope? No. Not now. Not ever. Here at WCS we're determined to win the war to save elephants – and we're on the ground, battling to do so. We already have a clear goal and action plan: Stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand for ivory. Supporters across the globe have rallied around us and we've accomplished amazing things in the last year. Here's what we've accomplished and where we're headed. Stopping the killing In Tanzania's Ruaha National Park and Mozambique's Niassa National Reserve, we've brought together the national governments and the U.S. Agency for International Development in landmark partnerships that will help us stop poachers in their tracks. And now, the Nigerian government has asked us to take over management of Yankari Game Reserve, home to the last viable elephant population in that country. Why? Because we have a proven track record of success. Across Africa we're building new partnerships and putting more boots on the ground, and we're beginning to win the war against poachers. Start up costs, plus recruiting, training, and supplying ecoguards all need to be covered – but one thing's for sure – when the resources are secured, we know how to protect those elephants on the ground. Stopping the trafficking Buoyed by the success of our program in Gabon, we're in the process of selecting and training sniffer dogs to assist with tracking down caches of ivory, ammunition, and other illegal materials in Tanzania. And in Asia, we continue to provide intelligence on wildlife trafficking networks to the police forces of Indonesia and Vietnam, resulting in hundreds of successful arrests and prosecutions over the past five years. In less than a year, the WCS-led 96 Elephants campaign has helped pave the way for bans on ivory sales in New York and New Jersey. The federal government has announced its intention to implement a ban. Our next U.S. target: California – the second largest market for ivory in the country. We're gearing up with local partners to not only close loopholes that allow for the sale of illegal ivory to be laundered into supposedly legal markets, but also stiffen the penalties for those caught doing so. Stopping the demand Along with many other tactics, we've set up ads in Beijing International Airport, blanketing a corridor that carries millions of passengers between Africa and China. We're increasingly working with Chinese policy-makers and opinion-formers to help make the case for a ban on ivory trading in China. But we have a long road ahead, and we need your help. This movement has come incredibly far in a year and together I hope one day we count down from 96 elephants killed each day... to 90... to 10... to 0, while elephant populations across Africa recover and thrive. Sincerely,
Liz Bennett
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