Since our founding in 1957, Friends of Animals has always understood that to achieve our goal of stopping animal exploitation, we’d always have to be multi-dimensional. There would never be just one way to help animals. No quick fix.
Friends of Animals’ efforts to protect elephants—highly beloved and endlessly exploited—is the perfect example of our multi-faceted approach that has spanned decades. Thanks to you.
In 1989, we drafted the first agreement secured among member states of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to ban the international trade in ivory.
Fast forward to this summer—in September, Friends of Animals filed an emergency rule-making petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restrict U.S. zoos’ ability to import African elephants. Zoos have gotten a free pass from FWS and been allowed to import live African elephants to lure visitors and because it will supposedly benefit the conservation of African elephants in the wild. However, no American zoo has ever reintroduced an African elephant to the wild.
In addition to educating the public that zoos are detrimental to elephants, throughout the years Friends of Animals has protested the exploitation of elephants by circuses such as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which shuttered its tents in 2017. We also supported legislation throughout the U.S. to ban animals in circus acts.
Between 1991 and 1996, Friends of Animals sent military surplus patrol vehicles and radio and field equipment to 10 African countries and planes to Ghana and Kenya to bolster anti-poaching patrols. And last year, we petitioned FWS to amend the Endangered Species Act to include greater restrictions on trade of elephant skins and other body parts.
And as you read this letter, we are pushing to get our Big 5 African Trophies Act through the legislature in New York, the biggest port of entry of wildlife trophies in the country. The legislation, which has also been introduced in Connecticut, would ban the import, sale, possession and transportation of the trophies of African elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes and rhinos.
Rest assured, Friends of Animals, with your help, will continue to defend elephants for the long haul.
On this Giving Tuesday, please make a generous donation to help elephants—and the many other animals Friends of Animals has worked (and continues) to protect since 1957. Our work depends on you.