I feel like elephants have been "trending." Everyone wants patterned elephant pants, an elephant hanging around their neck, or a phone case with the a lily pulitzer elephant pattern. They're "in." Many people think it's stupid. That elephants are over-rated. Why not giraffes? Why not rhinos? While it does seem kind of funny in retrospect that a large animal has become the source of a fashion statement, i'll support this one. As long as people understand the issue behind what they are wearing.
According to the World Elephant Day, "An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining." Elephants may be populating our clothes and adornments, but they are slowly decreasing in population on earth. I think people have an idea that this is happening, but don't really think about it when they go to the mall and buy African-looking comfy pants.
Since seeing these beautiful creatures with my own eyes, I cannot imagine how one could have the heart to kill.
They are magnificent creates. And last summer when I went to Ghana, I was able to watch one with my own eyes in its natural habitat. There could not have been anymore more incredible than watching him mind his own business as he crossed the street. At the national park I was visiting, Mole, there was a nature center. At the nature center there were all different parts of elephants I could touch. I was able to feel their, surprisingly hairy, ears, a smooth tusk, and different skins. In a case was an unborn fetus of a baby elephant preserved. The ranger explained that they had found the mother dead from a poacher, and inside her was the baby. It was so pure, and so disturbing to see it before my eyes just sunken in the preservatives in this large fish-tank looking thing. I'll save your eyes from a picture of that, but just take my word.
My friends and I have this thing where we like to state whether things are "over-rated" or "accurately-rated." Elephants, are by far not over-rated. People have been obsessing over them for decades, and I get why. Even on my trip, my friend was joking to me about how our group leaders were still taking tons of pictures and selfies with the elephants as if they had never seen them before, when in fact they see them quite often. They never get old. My mom collects little trinkets of them from around the world and sits them around the living room. My roommate last year slept with a big elephant pillow pet and put a large elephant deal in our room. Elephants are everywhere, and it's up to us to fully realize their beauty behind the posterized images we surround ourselves with.
There are many non-profits that take donations, such as http://savetheelephants.org
If you feel the need to buy into the apparel aspect of elephants, there are websites such as https://www.ivoryella.com or https://www.theelephantpants.com (both of which I have given my wallet to,) that give a portion of the proceeds to help save elephants.
It seems irrelevant to save an animal that you don't realize is dying out, but it's important! Think about it. I hope you are all as lucky as myself to see one of these incredible creatures naturally someday.
