Speak Out for Elephants and Celebrate National Elephant Day, March 13, 2011Posted by April Nockleby, ALDF's Online Content Manager on March 9, 2011
National Elephant Day you ask? Perhaps it’s not the most Hallmark-ready holiday, but it’s a day of celebration nonetheless. In May 1998, the Thai government designated March 13 as National Elephant Day to raise public awareness of the importance of these prestigious pachyderms.
The largest land mammals now living, elephants’ numbers have plummeted from five to ten million at the turn of the 20th century to around 600,000 today. This drastic decline is due to their being hunted for their ivory and to loss of their habitat. Researchers have warned that African elephants could face extinction by 2020 if anti-poaching measures are not strengthened.
Known for their memory and intelligence, a recent study now puts them in the same league as chimpanzees and dolphins as being among the world’s most cognitively advanced animals. Is it any wonder why these noble animals deserve a day of celebration — not to mention our vigilant efforts to ensure their survival and well-being?
Speak out for elephants this National Elephant Day by signing the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s petition to stop elephant abuse at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo! As a result of inadequate facilities, abusive management practices, longstanding neglect, and breeding practices in callous disregard for elephants’ welfare, the elephants Bamboo, Watoto, and Chai at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo suffer from severe and chronic foot and joint injuries, unexplained physical trauma and bleeding, and sustained psychological suffering. Sign ALDF’s petition today to urge the City of Seattle to stop funding the Woodland Park Zoo’s cruel elephant exhibit.