At the International Conservation Center (Pittsburgh Zoo)  forever protected, unlike the world’s African and Asian elephants in the wild!

Celebrate the life of earth’s largest land mammal –and pledge your support – to stop the poaching of elephants for their tusks and loss of their habitat. Take the pledge: never buy new or vintage ivory products. Do it here

If you use Facebook and Twitter, here’s your link to sign up for Project Thunderclap — let the world know you stand with the elephants!

Forest elephants in the Congo. Courtesy of Wildlife Conservation Society

Facts and recent news:

• African elephants (forest and savannah) are threatened — less than 400,000 exist worldwide
• Asian elephants are threatened — less than 40,000 remaining worldwide
• 96 elephants are killed in Africa every day
• The street value of a single tusk is approximately US$15,000.
• The main market for illegal ivory is China, where a single tusk can fetch $100,000–200,000.
• Tusks are found in African elephants of both sexes while only in Asian males.
• An African bull’s tusks can grow to over 11 feet long and weigh 220 pounds.
• 2013 saw the greatest quantity of ivory confiscated in the last 25 years

(Source World Elephant Day) Learn more here

Elephant Tusks and Ivory Products/Courtesy USFWS

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has just signed legislation that fully bans the import and in-state sale of elephant ivory and rhino horn! What’s the impact? New Jersey is an important point of entry for smuggled wildlife.  Nearby New York City is the largest US market for ivory in the US. Learn more

Do it now — Stand with the elephants