On World Elephant Day (Saturday,12 August) Amarula and Wild Life Direct were at the forefront of a global conversation around elephant conservation and the harsh reality of ivory poaching. The two organisations have been running a campaign since October 2016 to raise awareness about the plight of the African Elephant which may be extinct by 2030.
To illustrate the rapid loss at which the world is losing these gentle giants beasts, a life-sized African elephant sculpted out of ice was placed in the summer heat of New York City. The life-like sculpture gradually melted, dramatically symbolising the alarming rate at which the African elephants are disappearing at the hands of poachers.
The installation held a crowd captivated moved by the visual experience. Says Kirsten Alana, New York photographer and Instagrammer who recently visited Amboseli National Park in Kenya: “In a city like New York we are so far removed from the plight of the African elephant, this activation really drives the message home that we are losing these soulful creatures and soon they could be extinct. We can all make a difference by choosing to not buy ivory.”
Dr Paula Kahumbu, a foremost authority on African elephants and CEO of Amarula’s charitable partner, WildlifeDirect, was present to educate and help raise awareness to the public.
Dr Kahumbu comments, “The future of the African elephant is at a tipping point. Recent data shows that each day ––around 96 African elephants are killed by poachers for their ivory. There are only approximately 350,000 African elephants left in the world, and one is lost every 15 minutes. We need help spreading the word about the plight of our elephants” says Dr Kahumbu. This campaign is a critical component to our global conservation efforts. More importantly, Amarula is a global brand which means we can reach consumers around the world with our key message that ivory belongs on elephants.”
Since 2002, through their non-profit organisation, the Amarula Trust, Amarula has invested over R9 Million Rand to save the African Elephant and plans to continue their work in this field.
In an effort to raise awareness locally, Amarula has released a limited edition bottle with a label that is without its iconic elephant. “Removing the elephant from our logo –signifies our commitment to the fight against ivory poaching and save the African elephant from extinction. If we don’t raise awareness to stop the ivory trade, elephants will disappear – just like the one our label,” says Saramien Dekker, Amarula Global General Manager.
For more information about Amarula and their “Don’t Let Them Disappear Campaign,” visit: www.amarula.com.
