The largest mammal on earth, the African Elephant, has been dwindling significantly in numbers within recent decades, and yet, according to the World Wildlife Fund, their status of "vulnerable" is remarkably more promising than their critically endangered relatives, the Sumatran Elephant or the endangered Asian Elephant. Estimated at less than 500,000 alive in the wild, the African Elephants fall victim to change in habitat, land loss, and most notably, poaching due to the booming ivory trade.
A new documentary on Netflix, The Ivory Game, executively produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, reveals the gruesome truth behind the act of poaching in the wild and pushes for the preservation of these gentle beasts. The crew went undercover for 16 months in order "to infiltrate the corrupt global network of ivory trafficking," according to Indiewire. As elephant populations decrease, the rarity and demand for their ivory increases, endangering the elephant status and increasing the prices for their ivory, meat and bones. The Ivory Game exploits the horror of the trade and therefore promotes the conservation of the species.
The documentary became available on Netflix and in select theaters on November 4th.
What can you do to support the African Elephant? Educate yourself. Educate others.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/african-eleph...
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?di...
https://www.fws.gov/international/animals/african-...
