World Elephant Day, August 12 2015

This video says about itself:

An Elephant’s Tale: The Matriarch | WCS

12 June 2014

Elephants — so different in form yet with an inner life that rivals our own. This short video tells the tale of a single elephant, but provides powerful testimony to the experience of the species as a whole at this crucial moment in their existence. Together, we must not be generation that lets elephants disappear.

An Elephant’s Tale: The Matriarch
Produced and written by Natalie Cash
Shot and edited by Jeff Morey
Narrated by Dr. Nyawira Muthiga
Original music and sound design by Brian Aumueller/Mekanical
Color editing by Josh Kanuck
Still image by Julie Larsen Maher
Narration recorded by Eric Musyoka/Decimal Studios

Additional footage provided by Paul Elkan, J. Michael Fay, Cristián Samper, Andrea Turkalo, Kevin Bachar/Pangolin Pictures and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Special Thanks to Margaret Kinnaird and Sandy Odour, Mpala Research Centre

From the Wildlife Conservation Society in the USA:

Take a Stand

World Elephant Day is Wednesday, August 12, and this year we have something to celebrate! President Obama recently introduced a proposal to ban ivory sales in the United States.

Once enacted, this ban will close loopholes that have allowed smugglers to disguise ivory from recently killed elephants and sell them as antiques in the U.S. It will send a clear message that America is serious about shutting down the ivory trade and saving elephants.

But the president’s proposal isn’t law yet. The administration is collecting public comments for 60 days and you can bet that opponents of the ivory ban (yes, there are people who oppose this common sense regulation) will be vocal. We need voices in support of the ban to #BeHerd.

Help us send 96,000 comments in support of the U.S. ivory ban.

Join Our (Digital) Stampede

There’s so much you can do for elephants this World Elephant Day and beyond. In addition to lending your voice in support of the proposed U.S. ivory ban, you can also lend your feet and your creativity.

We’re asking elephant supporters everywhere to shoot their own six-second videos of feet stamping to symbolize “Joining the Stampede” and post them on Instagram (and/or Facebook, Vine, Tumblr) with #BeHerd and #JoinTheSTAMPede. Together, these will amplify our message, ensuring that elephants‘ voices are heard everywhere.

Looking for some activities for kids? We’ve also created some fun pages they can put their own stamp on to support the ban.

Big news! Our 2014 short film, “An Elephant’s Tale: The Matriarch,” has been nominated in two categories at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival (“Best Educational or Institutional Program” and “Best Short Short”). This World Elephant Day, its message still holds: together, we must fight for their right to exist.

And while you’re in inspirational viewing mode, check out the highlights from the U.S. ivory crush earlier this summer. We certainly made our voices heard!