Save the Elephants Day is not just another day on the calendar here at Friends of Animals, where every day we are fighting to protect them from human exploitation.

About 350,000 elephants remain in Africa and less than 50,000 are left in Asia. The population of pachyderms has declined by 90 percent in the past century, declines driven by the commodification of elephants for their ivory, skins and hunting interests, poachers and habitat changes.

To fight extinction, FoA is working on several fronts to secure their future. We have called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restrict the import and trade in all elephant parts including skins and hides. We are also working to enact legislation in New York and Connecticut that would prohibit the imports of any trophy hunted elephants. New York is the biggest entry in the U.S. for trophies. From 2005-2014 1,130 elephant trophies were imported in the state.

“Elephants shouldn’t need sanctuaries,’’ said FoA President Priscilla Feral. “These intelligent, matriarchal animals should be protected in their homelands.”

In addition to these actions, FoA is also supporting federal legislation proposed by U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu and Sheila Jackson that would prohibit the killing of any endangered species to import as trophies.

“Elephants have the best love in the world, ‘’ said Lek Chailert of Thailand whose work to protect them has help turn elephant trekking camps into sanctuaries.

We couldn’t agree more with Lek. Here’s more about FoA’s work and how you can help.