When is World Elephant Day?
August 12th is World Elephant Day.
What is World Elephant Day?
Adult elephants are so big that they only have one natural predator: humans. Poachers kill around 100 African elephants a day. That’s a shame, because there aren’t that many left. World Elephant Day promotes better protection for wild elephants and better treatment for elephants in captivity.
Elephants are intelligent and emotional. Their memories span decades. They grieve over each other, play with one another, and get angry or happy in ways humans can recognize.
Also, these fancy pachyderms can create a sub-sonic growl that travels over the ground faster than normal sound travels through the air. The feet and trunks of other elephants then pick up the sound. That’s next level messaging.
They say an elephant never forgets. So let’s not forget about the elephants. Use World Elephant Day to join the effort and protect the world’s elephants.
Fun facts about World Elephant Day!
- The ears of African elephants are conveniently shaped like the continent of Africa.
- Elephants roll in the mud to protect themselves from sunburn.
- About 75% of captive elephants throughout Asia live in unacceptable conditions, with short leashes, isolation, and inadequate veterinary care.
- More elephants are killed for ivory every year than are born.
- Poachers kill over 35,000 African elephants a year. There are only 400,000 African elephants alive.
How to celebrate World Elephant Day:
- Donate your time and/or resources to elephant conservation efforts. For instance, you could support organizations that advocate for wild elephant habitats.
- Research and adhere to ethical elephant tourism guidelines. For example, instead of paying to ride a captive elephant, pay a guide to help you find one in the wild.
- Refuse to buy products made with ivory.
What’s the hashtag for World Elephant Day?
Use #WorldElephantDay on social media to promote elephant protections.