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.

Watch Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton's
2012 Expo Presentation

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.

Working to Save Elephants at CITES

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Every two to three years, member states meet to review the implementation of the agreement.

Key members of the Save the Elephants team traveled to this year's CITES meeting in Thailand to advocate for elephants. More

Photo: Lisa Hoffner