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In light of recent tragic events, we want to highlight the behavior of males, their importance in elephant society and the unique challenges they face. Young male elephants grow up in the tightly bonded society of females and as calves and juveniles they maintain close relationships with their relatives and participate in the many social events that affect their family, albeit at a lower intensity than their female age-mates. Male calves grow faster than female calves and their need for their mother’s milk is higher. They are more demanding, complaining more often and more loudly than their female counterparts. And during droughts, when their mothers don’t have enough milk, they die at a higher rate. Around eight to nine years old, they begin displaying signs of independence, occasionally separating from their family unit for short periods. This gradual shift towards autonomy continues as they spend more time away from their familial group, gradually becoming more self-reliant. During adolescence, young males tend to linger on the outskirts of their natal group, often seeking out interactions with peers from other families for playful engagements. Through these encounters, they learn about their own strength and size relative to their age-mates. They also exhibit curiosity towards the activities of older males, observing and sometimes imitating their behaviors. This early exposure aids in their socialisation. As a young male's interest in interacting with non-family males grows, it often serves as a catalyst for his departure from the natal family. Males are said to become independent when they spend less than 20 percent of their time with their natal group. The age of independence varies within the Amboseli elephant population, ranging from as early as nine to as late as 18 years old, with an average age of 14 years of age. If you haven't already, please sign the petition to help put an end to the trophy hunting of Amboseli's elephants in the Enduimet area of Tanzania (link in our bio). #notyourtrophy #handsoffourelephants #killingisnotconservation #endtrophyhunting
The individuals targeted by trophy hunters are male elephants in their reproductive prime, specifically those adorned with large tusks. Given that the shape and size of an elephants tusks are a heritable trait, the systematic elimination of males with large tusks will ultimately reduce average tusk length in a population. People from all over the world, travel to Amboseli requesting to see individuals like Craig, and they return again and again. I am sure a lot of our followers can pay tribute to that. The hunting of these beautiful individuals not only undermines conservation efforts but also disrupt the delicate social fabric of elephant society. We must continue to spread the word and inspire others to take action! Signing and sharing the petition is a great place to start. You can also write to the Tanzanian and Kenya Ambassador of your country - voice your concern regarding the trophy hunting of Kenya’s Amboseli elephants in the cross-border region of Northern Tanzania. Together, we can amplify our voices and reach more people, ensuring that everyone understands the importance of this issue. If you want to find out more read our joint statement with @amboseli_trust and @biglifeafrica and sign the petition via the link in our bio. Once again, we are so grateful for your support. 📷 - @selengei #notyourtrophy #handsoffourelephants #killingisnotconservation #endtrophyhunting
A claim often used by hunters is that they only shoot males who are old and no longer reproductive. Hunters refer to these males as “dead wood” “reproductively senile” or “senescent.” Our data, however, show that males between 35 and 55 are the primary breeders in a population and that even males in their 60s still come into musth and mate successfully. According to @amboseli_trust, Paolo is 44 years old and likely has another 15 years of being reproductively active, passing on his genes for large tusks. But, as long as trophy hunting continues across the border in Tanzania, males like Paolo are at high risk. Some Amboseli males in their early 30s have tusks that almost touch the ground. They are only just entering their reproductive prime, but the size of their tusks make them targets for trophy hunters who mistakenly age them as “old.” Hunters continued assertions that they only target males beyond their reproductive prime is factually incorrect. Such misleading claims damage the hunting industry’s already fragile reputation. So does taking the lives of such magnificent individuals. Sign the petition to help put a stop to this (link in bio).
Link in bio - help us get over 10000 signatures. 🐘 One again, for those who share our commitment to ending the trophy hunting of Amboseli’s renowned elephants, your signature holds immense power. Please sign the petition & share this reel!
URGENT CALL TO ACTION: PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA For those who share our commitment to ending the trophy hunting of Amboseli’s renowned elephants, your signature holds immense power. Please sign and share this crucial petition put together by @wildlifedirect, @elephantvoices, @amboseli_trust and @savetheelephants. This petition is also backed by a unified coalition of signatories from Kenyan-based conservation NGOs, wildlife filmmakers and photographers and safari companies. We are all raising our voices for the protection of these magnificent creatures - please do too! Please sign via the link in our bio. Once again, we are so grateful for your support. 🐘 #notyourtrophy #stoptrophyhuntingnow #killingisnotconservation #savetheelephants
We’ve spent the last 48 hours writing letters to relevant authorities, speaking with the press, and engaging in urgent discussions with several of our partners. The political landscape surrounding the trophy hunting in the cross-border region is sensitive. We’ve seen all your comments and we understand your desire for accountability. We can ourselves confirm the involvement of Kilombero North Safaris (@kilombero_north.official) as they are the owners of the hunting concession in Enduimet. It is now public knowledge that (@rickwarren5555) was Kilombero North Safaris most recent client and was in the Enduimet area on March 1st when the third elephant was killed. His instagram account is full of recent photographs of him posing with dead wildebeest, Grant’s gazelle, zebra, gerenuk, ostrich, hyena and even a dikdik…but no elephant. It has been corroborated that an elephant was shot during this hunt, though we cannot say which individual was responsible for pulling the trigger as Warren is seen posing with other hunters. (swipe to see photographs). The PH (professional hunter) on this particular hunt is a man by the name of Quintin Whitehead (@zq_hunting_tz), who is featured in Rick Warren’s recent photographs. He has been contacted, but denies his participation. Since being exposed on social media Rick Warren and Kilombero North Safaris have made their instagram accounts private. Rick Warren’s ownership of the ‘Warren Wildlife Gallery’ (@warrenwildlifegallery) in Austin, Texas, which has more than 500 mammals and over 900 birds mounted on walls, underscores the depth of his involvement in trophy hunting ventures. Hunters have been advised not to post pictures of the elephants they have killed, which makes identification of the individuals difficult especially since the bodies of the elephants have been burnt. Please note that we are doing our best behind the scenes and we will share information when it’s relevant. Thank you for caring and for your support! #notyourtrophy #handsoffourelephants #killingisnotconservation #endtrophyhunting
We have received reports that another male elephant from the Amboseli ecosystem has been shot by trophy hunters just across the border in Tanzania. If this is correct it will be the third elephant from the Amboseli population killed by trophy hunters in the past few months. We are working with our partners to find a way to put a stop to these killings. We know where you all stand on this issue and will do our best to keep you updated with ways you can help. What you can do now is help build the pressure by sharing this post - we need people to be aware of what is going on. (This photograph was taken in 2019 and it is NOT the elephant who was shot). #notyourtrophy #handsoffourelephants #killingisnotconservation #endtrophyhunting
At ElephantVoices, every day is World Wildlife Day - but today, in particular, is a day to celebrate and champion all creatures great and small. ❤ #WorldWildlifeDay #WorldWildelifeDay24 #ElephantVoices #WildlifeConservation
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