08:36
Tanzania joined 15 other cities in a Global March to Save Africa’s Elephants. 10,000 people from all streaks of life, backgrounds, and cultures marched united in one desperate message, ‘stop the ivory trade – stop killing elephants’. An elephant is killed every 15 minutes in Africa and at this rate there will be no wild elephants remaining on the continent within the next 12 years.
Combine this with the fact that the international governors for protecting wildlife species,‘CITES,’ still refuses to globally ban the trade in ivory making the future for elephants look all the more bleak. What exactly will it take for CITIES to take action and stamp out the ivory trade once and for all?
To push home the urgent need into finally BAN TRADE IN IVORY The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (in Kenya, East Africa) engineered the global ‘March for Elephants’ alongside the iWorry Organization. It generated a resounding and universal cry to save the elephants. Elephants live on the edge of extinction and unless the world turns about face the world’s largest mammal will quickly be wiped out.
Honoured Guest, Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Khamis Kagasheki, marched alongside team members of the Tanzanian Association of Tour Operators that managed the local march, under the umbrella of the David Sheldrick Foundation and iWorry.
A sea of supporters numbering an estimated 5000 people marched as one, complimented by well over 30,000 spectators who lined the route through the centre of Arusha town. The peaceful march unified Tanzania with other Sub-Sahara nation and major cites across the Western World. Together they all put on their walking boots and marched in unison for elephants today, October 4th, 2013.
Tanzania’s march was colourful and alive, with scores of school children, tour & safari operators, professionals and many others from all walks of life, waving colourful banners and forming a resolute procession including brave anti-poaching rangers.
Minister Kagashekiis a man you likes initiative. At the finishing post, he emphasized that ‘we’ are the voice of the elephants.’ He praised the private sector for organising the march and in so doing, increasing global and local awareness concerning the mounting dangers facing elephants
The march marks heightened pressure on CITES for a total ban on the trade in ivory, and signifies a major turning point in the way people react to empty promises and ambiguous resolutions by either misguided, insincere or simply misguided leaders and organisations
I saw Tanzanian’s taking time out from their daily schedule; if but for a few moments. Listening to a determined crowd shouting out the truths about the demise of the elephant and how it will affect community growth, stability, future hopes, and development, brought up a lot of emotions. So much hangs in the balance with the survival of Africa’s elephants.
Blocking out all the noise and watching the reactions of the spectators and the sheer determination and commitment of the marching participants was picture truly worth a thousand words. The battle is far from won, however today Arusha joined the world in letting CITIES and other influential organisations and leaders know, they are not prepared to sit back any longer and watch the last elephant be slaughtered to feed Vietnam, China’s ivory trade. Average people now know their voice does count and can make a difference. The fall of the elephant is only the tip of the iceberg if left unchecked.
East Africa has a growing presence on Face Book exposing the poaching atrocities taking place across Africa and the latest statistics. These include Kenyans for wildlife; iWorry, The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Tanzanians for wildlife, Photography4life, Tabianchi and many more pages that are easily available. Knowledge is power and that changes everything.
Source: In2eastafrican
