World Elephant Day 2017

At the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation we champion the cause of wild elephants every day and World Elephant Day, celebrated on August 12th each year, gives us an extra opportunity to join a global movement raising awareness for these amazing animals. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature as habitat loss and poaching continue to threaten the survival of the world’s largest land mammal.

DSWF and its founder, wildlife artist and conservationist David Shepherd CBE (pictured above) are synonymous with elephants. One of David’s greatest loves, protecting elephants and their natural habitat was one of the driving forces behind him setting up the Foundation.

“As a wildlife artist who owes much of his success to these wonderful animals I wanted to bring home to people that elephants deserve a better fate than to be killed for their ivory. For over 30 years my Foundation has worked to protect elephants in their natural habitat and has championed their cause by calling for a permanent ban to the trade in ivory on the world stage. And, ten years ago, when a call came to help an elephant calf orphaned by poachers, DSWF responded and established the first elephant orphanage in Zambia. Today, the facility continues to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned elephants with the ultimate goal of returning them to the wild. In Uganda, our support has meant an upward trend in elephant populations after the desperate losses suffered in the 1980s; actions and achievements of which I am hugely proud,” says David.

With your ongoing support DSWF can continue to champion the cause of wild elephants; defending them in the wild and at an international policy level. Please, if you can, donate to the protection of these magnificent animals.

DONATE TO ELEPHANTS

Other ways to help elephants

Adopt an orphan elephant