the ugly truth
Death sentence for ivory poachers
Thousands of elephants have been slaughtered for the illegal ivory trade and the killing continues. All wildlife is on the edge of extinction, and it's human need and greed that drives it.
If we lose the elephant, that great symbol of African wildlife, what hope is there for any other creature? Ultimately, what hope is there for us?
If we demand the death penalty for the criminals who ply this trade, we may have a chance to deter at least some of the killers and perhaps even turn back the tide of extinction. It's got to be worth a try.
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This is where we share the necessary reality of many of the troubles in South Africa that involve humans and animals. A warning - we will post graphic content here among our most powerful stories, so please only watch if you are prepared.
Whether through poaching or the growing issue of fighting for land rights, these animals are being pushed further and further away from their migratory patterns as man claims more and more of their natural habitat. This often leads to conflict when elephants trample and eat the communities' crops which can be their only income and sustenance - and are therefore poisoned by the villagers who are protecting their livelihoods. It's a complex issue.
Video Stream: Elephant Rescue
Our Advisory Board Member and friend, Alan Feldstein, shared this video with us. He came across this distressed elephant on the Mara plains, she had turned to humans for help and protection - even though it was a human who shot the poisoned arrow to keep her away from their property!
Video Stream: Adrian Steirn's
This powerful short film by Adrian Steirn shows the reality of the poaching crisis and how difficult it is for rhino's to come back from attacks. Even with the cutting edge procedures by Saving the Survivors, it wasn't enough to save Hope, although she did live for one year after her attack....
Every heart-breaking photo below tells a devastating story. Africa's war on its animals is at crisis level. Poachers think nothing of leaving orphaned elephant calves and rhino babies wandering the plains to fend for themselves in some of the harshest climates and terrains in the world. Like the elephant calf below, more often than not, they die by their mothers. On the rare occasions they aren't killed or injured so badly they have to be euthanized, organizations like Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage and Saving the Survivors step in to try and rehabilitate them.
Dedicated vets like Dr Johan Marais and Dr Will Fowlds fly all over Africa to tend to the animals left for dead by poachers. And sometimes.... sometimes they are successful.
