I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Save the Elephants, an elephant conservation organization in Kenya whose facilities were just destroyed in a flash flood.
During the 1980's more than 700,000 elephants (50% of the population) were slaughtered throughout Africa for their ivory. In 1989 the world took notice and came together under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) banning all trade in ivory products. Poaching was fiercely combated and elephant populations slowly recovered. That was twenty years ago.Once again elephants are on the precipice of extinction. The species is being threatened by a dramatic rise in poaching. Growing wealth in emerging economies such as China has been linked to an increase in the demand for ivory, which is seen as a status symbol. The illegal ivory trade is surging once again and elephants are dying as a result. Recent figures estimate that nearly 8% of the African elephant population is being killed annually. The conservation efforts of years past will be rendered futile if action is not taken in the coming years.
Save the Elephants is one of the world's leading elephant conservation organizations. Founded by Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton in 1993, Save the Elephants has actively been involved in the protection of elephants in the Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. The organization also engages in the tracking of elephants and other research projects to effectively understand and manage populations. STE has not only shared this knowledge with other conservationists worldwide through published articles, it has provided local communities with effective human-elephant conflict resolution strategies.
In March Save the Elephants was dealt a devastating blow. The organization's research facility and camp in the Samburu Reserve was destroyed by an unexpected flash flood. Fortunately no one was injured during the flood, however, critical research was lost and hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage was done to the facilities and equipment.
I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro from May 26 - May 30 to raise funds for this important organization. Mt. Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak at 5,895 metres tall. I expect the climb to be one of the most difficult experiences I have faced. Who would have thought that the CN Tower was just a warm-up? Yet it is at this crucial time for elephant conservation as a whole that Save the Elephants is desperate need of funds to rebuild. I hope that you will consider donating to this worthy cause.
Please note: Save the Elephants is a charity registered in the UK which means that a Canadian tax receipt is not available. Donations are in pound sterling. At April 1st, 1 GBP = 1.54 CAD.