Saving Elephants from Going Extinct

I remember my first safari in 2011, when it was time for dinner and another round of questions for Carol, Africa Hope Fund CEO, Steve, her husband, and our guide, Manda. We were hungry to learn more about elephants and listened as Carol told us about the time she witnessed an elephant's death from poaching.

Rachel, CEO of Conservation South Luangwa, and Carol were in the national park on a Sunday drive to spot wildlife when Rachel got a radio call about an elephant shooting near the river. They were not very far away, and they could hear the elephant scream in pain and panic over their car's noise. They reached the Luangwa River in time to see the elephant drag herself across, staggering out of the shallow muddy water and falling onto the sand. A sudden silence said they were too late. Rachel walked over and picked up the elephant's trunk to see if she was still breathing. Shaking her head, she examined the elephant's wound. A handmade muzzle-loader had made this wound, a weapon local poachers use when they are after ivory. The elephant died from a collapsed lung.

Carol told us, "It was as though the entire surrounding bush knew what happened, and the elephant's death stilled all sounds of life in the bush. Even the nearby pods of hippos, usually very noisy, were quiet." Carol touched the rough, thick skin on the elephant's head and found it still warm. Rachel rested her hand on the elephant's side and reached over to move her large, worn, and tattered ear to cover her open, unseeing eye.

Our dinner table was quiet. Nearby tables quieted too. They sensed we were talking about something very serious. We ended the evening in a thoughtful mood and went back to our chalets.

Awakened to the knowledge that any of the elephants we saw in the park could be killed for a few inches of ivory, I knew I had to do what I could to help protect elephants. I wanted to understand more about elephant behavior and the poaching machine that supplies ivory for trophies, carvings, and other trinkets. Elephants are magnificent, sentient beings capable of self-awareness, and they have complex family structures. If we lose elephants, we lose a keystone species, and an entire ecosystem will collapse, and that is a global catastrophe.

The next morning it was time to head home. As our small plane ascended high into the sky and the unpopulated countryside began to shrink away from view, I pressed my face to the window to savor my last glimpse of Zambia's wild beauty. Tears came. I've traveled in the United States and Northern Europe and never felt so sad leaving. Zambia was in my DNA. I wanted the airplane to turn around. Like Carol Van Bruggen, after her first trip to Zambia, I knew this couldn't be a one-time trip. I had thought I wanted to see Africa. Now I knew I wanted to help save elephants from extinction.

Today, organizations throughout the African continent are working hard to protect elephants and other wildlife. At the same time, unstable governments still allow elephant hunting, and even though China banned ivory sales, the demand has not let up. Your contributions help fight poaching, educate youth to value their wildlife, and find ways for elephants and humans to coexist peacefully. Thank you.

Written by Patricia Cole

An Africa Hope Fund board member for 7 years, Pat is a writer and a conservation activist. After traveling to Zambia, she became dedicated to helping Africa Hope Fund provide education to the next generation of Africans and ensure their future by protecting wildlife.

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