The unfortunate truth is that elephants are in trouble. World Elephant Day is a day to help spread awareness about the threats that elephants are facing. Approximately 100 African elephants are poached every day for their ivory and meat. And that number doesn’t include elephants lost to conflicts with humans or habitat loss. Let’s look at some ways you and your kids can celebrate World Elephant Day with San Diego Zoo Global.
1. Visit
Both the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have extensive elephants exhibits. Both exhibits are must-visits for me and my family on our trips to the parks. If you choose to visit the parks, keep an eye out for the volunteers in red shirts at these exhibits. They have a wealth of knowledge about elephants and the conservation efforts San Diego Zoo Global is working on for them. I’ve learned a lot of great facts from these volunteers. Also, if you aren’t feeling up to a visit, you can have a virtual field trip via the Safari Park’s Elephant Cam.
2. Web Resources
The San Diego Zoo Global website has a couple of pages dedicated to the African Elephant. One page highlights the conservation efforts San Diego Zoo Global is working on to help protect these animals. You can read here about the groups they are partnering with in Africa on elephant conservation. Another page is a great resource for teaching your kids general facts about elephants. Learning more about these creatures can create a special connection. This page also offers more ways you can help African Elephants without even leaving your house.
3. Donate
These days you can start your own fundraiser right through Facebook. And one the organizations you can raise funds for is San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy. Get your friends involved and show your kids how fun and easy it can be to raise money for a good cause. You can also make a direct donation on San Diego Zoo Global’s website.
If things don’t change, our children, or our grandchildren, might only be seeing elephants in books and hearing about them in stories. Take this World Elephant Day to celebrate animals and instill a love of all the world’s creatures in your kids. This connection could be the difference that saves these, and other, beautiful animals from extinction.
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