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Subscribe to RSSA poaching resurgence has pushed up the price of ivory, resulting in more elephant carnage. But some of the baby elephants orphaned in the wake of such violence will survive -- thanks to the dedication of naturalist Daphne Sheldrick. NBC's Chelsea Clinton reports.
On Wednesday "Nightly News" aired a report from special correspondent Chelsea Clinton featuring naturalist Daphne Sheldrick (above), who has been working for decades to preserve Kenya's wildlife. The final piece in Clinton's two-part series (below) aired Thursday, and it explains how baby elephants orphaned by poachers are being rescued and raised.
Conservationist Daphne Sheldrick set up the world's only elephant orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya 30 years ago. It's a labor of love with Sheldrick, along with the elephant keepers, watching over the big babies around the clock. NBC's Chelsea Clinton reports.
Below, find out how to help Sheldrick's charity, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and why ivory remains such a precious commodity.
Daphne Sheldrick writes:
With the illegal ivory priced as it is today, driven by the demand in the Far East (particularly China), saving the African elephant is now the responsibility of the international community through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It is beyond the capability of the elephant range states to control the poaching driven by this demand.
The sale of all ivory, be it legal or illegal, must be banned totally with those countries that destroy their ivory stockpiles compensated, and those that don't, punished.
Daphne Sheldrick, who runs the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and NBC News special correspondent Chelsea Clinton discuss the care taken to make orphaned elephants comfortable and trusting enough to take a bottle of nutrition.
The elephant is an iconic species sharing with us humans many of the same emotions -- the same sense of family and the same sense of death. To kill such an animal for a trinket made from its tooth is an abomination that should be punished severely, particularly in this, the 21st century, when humankind should have at least understood that all species benefit the Earth as a whole and that the Earth does not exist solely for us humans, but is home to many other species who have evolved along with it, and are necessary to its well-being.
People must persuade political representatives who will be making such decisions at CITES to vote to save the elephants rather than being influenced by trade.
Daphne Sheldrick has worked tirelessly to hand-rear more than 130 orphaned elephants at the Nairobi National Park, eventually helping them integrate back into the wild. She has also raised more than a dozen black rhinos.
From the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust:
Established 35 years ago by Dame Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her late husband David Sheldrick, the founder warden of Kenya’s giant Tsavo National Park, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) is dedicated to the protection and conservation of wildlife and habitats in Kenya. The charity is best known for its pioneering work with orphaned elephants. Daphne Sheldrick has been living alongside elephants for 50 years and she was the first person to successfully hand-rear a milk-dependent newborn elephant.
NBC Special Correspondent Chelsea Clinton spoke with head elephant keeper Edwin Lusichi and Daphne Sheldrick of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust about the care given to traumatized elephant orphans.
Today the charity has successfully returned 91 elephant orphans to the wild, with another 53 currently reliant on their care. There are 22 baby elephants ages 2 years and under at the DSWT Nursery in Nairobi and another 31 adolescents, graduates of the Nursery, at their two reintegration centres in Tsavo East National Park.
Increasingly the animals the DSWT is called to rescue are ivory orphans; their mothers murdered before their eyes for their tusks; while climate change, drought, a burgeoning human population and livestock place further pressure on land and elephant populations. Already in 2012, the DSWT has been called to 17 baby elephant rescues.
Daphne Sheldrick, who runs the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, tells NBC Special Correspondent Chelsea Clinton about what makes baby elephants so unique.
Elephants are under threat. These intelligent, gentle and social animals known as Africa’s Gardeners -- for the role they play in clearing new paths in the bush and dispersing seeds -- are being killed for their ivory at the worst levels since the 1980s. 2011 was the worst year for ivory seizures since the international ivory ban went into effect in 1989. During 2011, authorities seized more than 23 tons of ivory, which represented about 2,500 individual elephants killed. Given that customs search approximately 5 percent of shipments, it is accepted that significantly more ivory will have been successfully smuggled out of Africa.
Today there are around 450,000 elephants in Africa, down from 1.3 million in 1979. It is estimated by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) that up to 38,000 elephants are killed annually for their tusks. Left unchecked this could see the population of African Elephants wiped out in under 20 years.
Demand for ivory is rising, fueled by an increasingly affluent middle class in China and the Far East where ivory is seen as a symbol of wealth, status and power. Through the elephant orphans project, mobile veterinary units, eight mobile anti-poaching teams, and aerial surveillance and community outreach; the DSWT is working on the front lines, in the field, to protect elephants, treat and rescue victims of the ivory trade and educate local people as to the importance of protecting their wildlife heritage.
You can learn more about the Trust’s lifesaving conservation projects at http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
Foster an elephant
The elephants rescued by the DSWT are reliant upon them for up to 10 years, before they choose to return to the wild. Each elephant requires a stockade, the care of specialist keepers who stay with the orphans 24 hours a day, milk formula every three hours and additional nutrients and medicines where necessary. You can foster a baby elephant and become part of the elephant’s extended human family, with your donation of $50 a year, contributing much-needed funds to the DSWT Orphans Project. Foster parents receive a personalized certificate, monthly email update of their elephant, photographs and more. Visit: http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/foster
Make a tax-deductible donation
U.S. supporters of the DSWT’s charitable mission can choose to make a tax-deductible contribution to U.S. Friends of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a 501(c)(3) organization. Please contact infous@sheldrickwildlifetrust.org or visit https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/html/help_USA.html
Leave a Comment:
This is very sad, the death of elephants. It has been going on for some time and many good things have been done to stop it. It is always sad and heart rending to me when I read of more abuse and the loss of all animals here and around the world. Our shelters are full of unwanted dogs and cats. It also makes me feel good when people are doing great things to save all of the harmless creatures. In this case one can save an elephant maybe, " You can foster a baby elephant and become part of the elephant’s extended human family, with your donation of $50 a year..." This is far from the usual; "Text Ten Bucks." Exactly 40 dollars different. We have too many helpless little children right here in our country who are abused, mentally, physically and sexually. Ten dollars or fifty to some group that works to save these children would go a long way. Yes, the elephants and their plight by evil people hurts me, the very thought. The thought of little children being abused keeps me awake. One group that I have followed for decades now is Focus Adolescent Services. Focusas.com They save American children. There are others just as there are other groups working to save the elephants.
There are plenty of needs out there. Why not just let us contribute where we wish. Some of us even contribute to more than one need.
just shows mens selfish greed over ivory something anyone can live without and most charities are greedy too just big saleries for execs
India got a handle on poaching with a "Shoot To Kill" approach with Poachers. Time we stood up for this creature and made some heads roll. Sorry its come to this..
I honestly would like to get on a plane and join in on taking down the poachers, traffickers and so on. This makes me sick to my stomach. I really don't think enough people care about these causes to save elephants, rhino's and whales and so on and that just disgusts me. We as man are going to desecrate this planet and but soon. Yes shoot to kill.
It is the Chinese government who are responsible on the demand side. Lax enforcement by totally corrupt officials will ensure eradication of the species, and I do not believe that it will take twenty years.
Somehow, I have always been an advocate for animals. I rescued a dog and volunteer at an animal shelter. Animals (of all types), like children do not have a voice; however, I am still drawn more to animals. If that makes some people upset, so be it. Everyone has their priorities and mine is animals. These baby elephants are so similar to human with their emotions, etc. I am happy to hear that someone is trying to do something to help them. While it is true we have many children and woman here in our own country who are abused, there are millions of animals in our country and throughout the world who need our help also.
Agree with you Baxter 6.
My sentiments exactly. My free time and surplus funds (what little there is...) go to various animal organizations. My choice and my priority.
Baxter I am completely with you. Lately MSNBC has had many headlining articles on what we are doing to our planets animals and it sorely dissapoints me of how few comment. I give what I can to 4 different charities all having to do with animals and I campaign to stop the killing etc where I can. I am ashamed of most my fellow men and women.... I am really to a point where I would welcome putting a bullet in a poachers head. I am not a violent person by any means, but I just can not believe what is happening in my life time.
A beautiful and moving story. I am now fostering an elephant through this amazing organization. I encourage anyone that feels passionate about this cause to do exactly the same. DO NOT let MrCool's blatant, though seemingly subtle, attempt above derail you from showing compassion and care, and helping these orphaned gentle giants.
Agreed and good for you, Brad.
The world is a better place for people such as Dame Daphne Sheldrick. Kudos to any Kenyans who assist at the preserve or act to prevent the slaughter of the adult African elephants.
A $50 donation to the infous@sheldrickwildlifetrust.org or https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/html/help_USA.html is not much to ask, in the scheme of things ... about the cost of a tank of gas to help provide for one of these orphan elephants, made that way due to human avarice and brutality.
Past time to put birth control in the water all across China. For such an old civilization, the Chinese remain a brutal, ignorant people with so little respect for the Earth's most treasured creatures.
littlechanges, I heartily agree with your above three paragraphs, but as for the fourth...
One should be careful in generalizing. Americans, as well as likely every other nationality/ethnicity has also committed horrible acts of cruelty. As an American of Chinese birth and heritage, yes, I am certainly ashamed of China and many Asian countries' actions in this case, but it is not the same to say that the entire Chinese people are ignorant, brutal, and deserve to be put to death.
I agree with Baxter6 completely. If you feel passionate about this cause and want to help these gentle giants, do it. DO NOT let MrCool's blatant, though seemingly subtle, attempt to derail the funds this amazing charity be successful. I now sponsor an orphaned elephant and encourage fellow animal lovers to do the same.
i just sold a chinchilla fur wrap for $250.00 for a local celebrity who no longer wears fur. she donated the fur and the money will go to a animal rescue group. i have done this before and donated to peta and best friends rescue of kanab utah -a no kill shelter. this money will go to this elephant shelter. the chinchilla unfortunately died for womens vanity but the proceeds will go to save elephants.
We are the only species on earth that can explore every other creature so their lives may be understood. Before they vanish in the night and we awaken to a silent dawn alone with our foolishness and greed. These baby elephants simply represent another canary in the cave. I fear too many people are blind and deaf to everything but bank account balances and tinkling coin purses.
Enjoying Chelsea Clinton and her style of reporting. The piece on the elephants was well produced and evoked action. Everyone has a heart for a different cause and I support this group working to save these magnificent creatures from the thoughtless, cruel destruction by man for nothing more than selfish greed. Remember, we are living the ultimate reality show and will answer to a judge that doesn't sit on American Idol! Thank You for allowing this story to air.
Greed is the problem here for human children and in Africa for the elephants. Don't people have any compassion for anything other than their bank accounts and impressing others? It makes me sad.
Elephants are such amazing animals. I wish I could save them all...It breaks my heart.
Greedy humans. Kill everything they can and destroy the rest. No wonder we're going to be the first species to engineer our own extinction.
I wouldn't generalize to all humans. It's really just China. The rest of the developed world likes elephants.
According to the video, it's also Japan. But as for "developed countries" such as the U.S., I'm pretty sure we also participate in our own acts of cruelty. What about veal? Fur coats? And the hunting that still goes on in the U.S.? Humans all over the world have helped extinguish or come close to decimating numbers of species, such as the dodo, buffalo, sperm whales, eagles, etc.
Yeah, what China and other Asian countries are doing in this case is horrible, but it seems a bit hypocritical to make it about us, the developed countries, versus them, the "backwards" industrializing countries. I'm sure other countries find our use of capital punishment inhumane as well.
There are certainly activities the US embraces that are extremely cruel to animals, factory farming being the biggest example. However, it always seems to be an Asian culture that is at the forefront of poaching endangered animals. Bear gall bladders, rhino horns, elephant tusks, shark fins, whale hunting. Usually the lame defense is that it's their 'culture', but this is even worse...showing it off as a sign of wealth, status, and power? Pathetic.
Elephants are second only to primates in their intelligence and emotion. Instead of bombing third-world regimes, why don't we launch special ops on the poachers? Our special ops could obliterate these banana republic poachers.
Of course, the poaching will end only when wealthy Chinese stop demanding ivory. Unfortunately economic success in China hasn't boosted their appreciation of wildlife, unlike the rest of the developed world.
Brian, I've been thinking about that same concept for years!
Why don't we just stop making "guns and munition" that kill... Those commodities probably come from a "developed" here, not some other "over there" country.
Furthermore, "appreciation of wildlife" has nothing to do with economic success here or there... What about the chemical soups all creatures eat and drink to make Monsanto type conglomerates profitable... Head offices are in developed countries last time I checked.
Please consider the bigger picture, instead of pointing self righteous fingers...
Throughout History...It has been PROVEN that "making something ILLEGAL" does NOT STOP its continued practice.....It merely drives UP the Price.
There MUST be found a more effective means of protecting the Elephants !
It is naivity to suggest the "solutions" proposed in this article. It's NOT functional.
Callous people post YouTube videos of themselves shooting elephants, and typically use a "population control" excuse to justify it in their minds. There are apparently a few areas where elephants are "overcrowded," but only because people have hemmed them in. It's misleading to make that seem like a noble reason for snuffing them. It's only different from poaching in a narrow context.
With Africa's human population potentially reaching 2 BILLION by 2050, it should be clear which species is truly overpopulated. But the general attitude is to accommodate people at any cost, with the latest thing being ancient water aquifers that were recently discovered. Tapping those would just enable more unsustainable growth. Human birth control is what Africa needs above all else.
This is such a sad story. I cannot imagine how anyone can hurt these beautiful animals. The humans that are killing these magnificent animals are nothing but evil. My own belief is that every being has a soul and purpose in life. It breaks my heart to think of the pain the elephant is going through as it is being killed and the baby that has to witness their parent being slaughtered. Horrible!!
I'm glad I got to live on Earth while there were still elephants and polar bears. These are not the only animals but they are the most iconic ones I can think of. I missed dinasours and dodo birds but oh well. Dispite all the efforts of the wonderful people trying to save these creatures, in 100 years they will likely be gone.
Although everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, I must comment on IisBilly's comment. I am certain you must realize it already; however, you are a sick and cruel person. I hope you do not have any animals, and if you do, my heart goes out to them.
The easiest idea to save the elephants is form a coalition of park rangers and build a small professional arm forces. Building parks around the major areas of elephants and slowly expanding the fences per 10 years would enable them to gain more population. These rangers will be armed with a hard-hitting FN FAL or other popular bush weapons. Poachers/trespassers should be shot at on the spot. The African Union/UN should try and create an agreement much like Antarctica where the surrounding parks belong to no countries and thus protected by ALL countries. The main reason why poachers get away is because there is no 'threat' to them. They drive into the park and then kill the elephants and then retreat, by having a secure area and a heavily armed present of troops it would prevent their extinction. Mankind should show itself as a compassionate creature by truly caring about their fellow mammals. My method is extreme, but we must act quickly or your children, grandchildren will never see these wonderful creatures again.
The comment about every species is important/critical to the earth is what always bugs me. Many would feel that the slight impact would not be that great so...so what if they dissappear? To me the real issue is that unless we plan/need to eat them (we don't) and they're not not killing us (they aren't) and they don't compete with us for scarce resources (they don't) then they should be protected and unmolested simply because (if you're a rightie) they're one of God's creatures. If you're a leftie- it's because they're a natural part of our world. contribute to what strikes YOUR heart. Never knock someone doing something nice.
Lovely, thoughtful comment, Karl Albert. There can never be enough goodness and acts of kindness, random or persistent. wish there were more people who think like you!
Let's send Army Rangers, Green Berets, and Navy Seals to Africa with the mission to shoot and kill anyone caught with "raw" ivory. Help solve the population problem and protect the elephants at the same time!
What we can do to help is donate to this cause, if you go to the website it is truly an outstanding organization and their compansion and caring is incredible. Not only do they foster the Elephants but also Rhino's and other wildlife. It is very interesting what they actually do on a daily basis going out into their protected areas and actually De-snare traps set by poachers. I highly recommend going to the sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and reading about the animals that they have orphaned, saved. It gives pictures, history, really anything you need to know about these magnificiant animals. I am a grown man and after reading some of this stuff------you end up crying!!! It is so sad to hear that when complete herds of elephants are killed the babies will stay with their slaughtered mother, same holds true for Rhino babies. They stay by there mother and what they see actually stays with them for life. How can a human be so cruel. What also needs to be done is let our government representatives and officials know so when our Representatives meet at the United Nation meetings and Cites Meeting they know the US stands behind protecting these creatures. 90% of this illegal animal trade is fueled by Asian countries. Japan for the Ivory, Chinese for Rhino horn and Tiger bones, Korea for Bear bile, Thailand for ivory. There was just an article on MSN about illegal animal trade and they actually know some of the Ring leaders (problem is the wealth and security) of these individuals. Yes, we all say if we can send in trained guards that will kill the poachers, problem will stop. It's the higher ups that run these illegal wildlife trade that need to be caught and locked up. Problem is this isn't the USA, its China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea (all Asian countries). This is where our government officials come in------put trade sanctions on these countries. Some say education-------Yes educating the African nations and basically explain the Asian countries are trying to exhaust all your resources for their greed and gain. The African countries need to understand that they make money on Safari tourism-----nobody is going to come if you don't have any wildlife. Another battle is trying to educate the Asian countries, but most of the time they already realize know that a tiger penis, or Rhino horn DOESN"T promote sexual enhancement or increase ones sex drive. So your going to kill inocent animals, when you can take a Viagra which will cost about five cents! Same holds true for the farming of bears for their bile. It has no value at all, but they put it in their shampoo's! The United States is a very educated country. Wow, I can go on and on and on. Lastly, if we want to make a differnce, support the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The World Wildlife fund is another good one. The WSPA is another good one World Society for the Protection of Animals. I am not trying to advertise but they are all great organizations.. The WWF sends representatives to Cites, but they are all great. Remember we have to be the voice for these animals!!!! Lets show the Asian countries we won't let them win!!! Peace to all the animals. Mikeyboy
An excellent read, MM. You're a thoughtful man with a big, ethical heart.
Agree with Brad. Although I would like to point out that despite the United States' relative education, we obviously have our own flaws...I don't think education necessarily stops cruelty, but it is definitely a good start.
Human animals just suck. We think we are so smart but no matter how much press this stuff gets it never gets better. You can give and give and give but nothing is going to stop human population growth and human greed so it ain't happening, its just delaying the inevitable. We are the doom of every other living thing on the planet.
the charity has successfully returned 91 elephant orphans to the wild - WHY? They get shot when they grow up - maybe time to create a large armed security force to shot and kill the dam pouchers.. while at the same time create a refugee for them - money needed you say? where are the billioniars? like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to help?
Move the elephants....out of Africa. I am certain Brazil and the US could foster them.
This is a bogus complaint. The writers need to get out of East Africa (Kenya, specifically) and look at the rest of the continent. In places like Botswana, the elephant herds have overrun the country. Sizable chunks of national parks in South Africa and Botswana are being denuded of trees due to the elephant population (since the Parks are to be left to natural processes, the thought is that the herds will collapse under their own weight).
I’m sure PETA will not agree, but those trying to raise money to “preserve” elephants and ban the ivory trade could better invest their time in helping the local economies in Africa by farming elephants for their meat and their ivory.
The East African approach to the situation (pushed by vocal Western groups) is as futile as the US Government’s approach to marijuana use by making it illegal. Rather, turn it into a legitimate business. Control and tax it. The prices would drop and, in the case of ivory, the farmer-herders and processors of elephant products, both village men and women, would have a profitable business to support their local economies.
Poachers exist because of the money involved and the risk to reward. All we ever talk about is increasing the risk by "killing the people involved". Why not discuss decreasing the reward? This may be too logical for this forum, but I will try anyway. Thousands of tons of ivory is destroyed every year because it is "illegal". Some countries brag about how much they destroy. This drives the amount of ivory supply down thereby increasing prices and the reward to the poachers. Just as other things like gold and Just imagine if this ivory was dumped on the market years ago how much lower the price would be and how many more elephants would have survived at this time. The destruction of ivory is the biggest cause of the elephants extinction.
Great news Chinese villagers use poachers feet to ward off fruit flies. The demand for Poachers feet is rising, and they are now priced higher than gold!!!!
Kevin - I think that they could possibly be used as aphrodisiacs, as well.
Buy American, if you can, or from any country not in Asia.