WCN Wildlife Conservation Network | Elephant Conservation

Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton

Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton's groundbreaking study of elephant behavior in Tanzania in the 1960's paved the way for elephant research and conservation today. Intrigued by their intelligence, elephant protection became Iain's passion. In chronicling the sharp decline of elephant populations in the 1980's, he was the first to alert the world to the poaching crisis and helped bring about the world ivory trade ban.

Threats

Africa has experienced a continent-wide decline in the number of elephants in the last few decades. Between 1979 and 1989, nearly half of Africa's elephants were killed for ivory. Expansion of human populations increasingly results in conflict between people and elephants. Human settlements limit an elephant's range of movement, while an elephant feasting on crops may destroy a farmer's livelihood and result in fatal retaliation.

Solutions

Save the Elephants (STE) is the leader in the pursuit of high-tech conservation solutions which are combined with grassroots knowledge to secure a future for Africa's imperiled elephants. Its programs encourage traditional practices that follow a conservation ethic and involve local people in research and monitoring. By promoting a tolerant relationship between elephants and humans, STE works to secure a place for all in the future.

STE Rescues Samburu Elephant from Mud

On August 22, 2011, an elephant named Umqua got stuck in the mud while crossing a river in the Samburu National Reserve. In a remarkable group effort, Save the Elephants, assisted by two local councils, Kenya Wildlife Service, the British Army, and a Chinese Construction Company, successfully pulled Umqua to safety. Read full story

Photo: STE