Dear friends,
Ivory poachers recently butchered Satao, one of the world’s largest elephants. They cut off his face and stole his 100 pound tusks after shooting him with a poisoned arrow. At the current rate of killing, elephants may be extinct in 15 years. But if we act now, we can stop this.
Thailand remains the world’s largest market for unregulated ivory despite the government’s repeated promises to clean up its act. Every day, people profit from the death of Satao and other elephants. In just days, the Thai government’s record will be examined at a major international meeting on endangered species. If the committee imposes sanctions, it would cripple the Thai ivory business and save hundreds of elephants; but they’re unlikely to do it without intense pressure from around the world.
The last time elephants faced this kind of poaching threat, in the 1980s, a massive global outcry forced politicians to intervene to stop the slaughter. If we act now, people power can again stop these incredible animals from being driven to extinction. Click below to sign the urgent petition:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/protect_our_endangered_elephants_b/?bzjFFab&v=41820
Unregulated ivory markets in Thailand and elsewhere are giving poachers a license to kill. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is the international agreement which protects endangered wildlife like elephants, and its annual meeting starts next week. Thailand will be reviewed, and insiders tell us that heavy sanctions approved by the committee – which mean that all CITES countries stop trading with Thailand in important exports like aquarium fish, orchids, and crocodile leather – would force the Thai government to act and shut down the country’s ivory market.
Thailand says that it has adopted a national action plan to stop the ivory trade, but that it will take time to implement. Others suggest that Thailand should simply be warned and face tough sanctions at a later stage. But action is needed now. Satao just joined a list of more than 20,000 killed in the past year; we can’t afford to wait.
Click now to tell the Chairman of CITES and its members that they must sanction Thailand now to force an end to the Thai ivory market and protect our endangered elephants:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/protect_our_endangered_elephants_b/?bzjFFab&v=41820
Last year, the Avaaz community forced Thailand’s Prime Minister to agree to ban the domestic ivory trade. Now a new government is in place and has done nothing to show it will restrict this bloody business. By showing the strength of our community, we can stop Thailand’s illegal ivory trade and protect the lives of one of the world’s most precious species.
With hope,
Danny, Alex, Nick, Sayeeda and the rest of the Avaaz team
More information:
World famous elephant ‘Satao’ killed by poachers in Kenya (Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2014/06/15/world-famous-elephant-satao-killed-by-poachers…
The ivory highway (Men’s Journal)
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/print-view/the-ivory-highway-20140213
Legal reform must shut down Thailand’s ivory trade (WWF)
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