Join the Herd

In the 1930s and 1940s there were between 3 and 5 million elephants in Africa. Today, there are only around 470,000 left.

Elephants are killed for their tusks and used in the illegal black market for ivory. China, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United States are among the largest markets.

Because they are threatened with extinction, the elephants are protected from international trade by their listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1989. Sadly that didn't stop poachers from going out there and killing these animals.

The US, China and other countries are allowing the legal trade in ivory that dates back to before the 1989 international ivory ban. The problem with that is that it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between pre-ban ivory and illegally poached ivory.

Ivory can be substituted with ethical, sustainable alternatives and the only way to save Africa’s remaining elephants is to end all ivory trade.

WildAid's goal is to end the ivory trade once and for all.

What can we do?

1. WildAid has launched the Year of the Elephant, a campaign call to action to end the ivory trade for good and ensure a kind future for elephants. When you #JoinTheHerd, you help to make this the first-ever “Year of the Elephant.” The year we stop the ivory trade. And the year when more elephants are born than killed by poachers.


Visit: yearoftheelephant.org where you can make a "Join The Herd" picture and share it to raise awareness.

2. We can sign the pledge and promise to spread the word to save Africa’s remaining elephants and to never buy or accept ivory. To support government actions to end the ivory trade and to be part of the solution.

Here is the link for the pledge: Take The Pledge

3. Today, on Saturday, April 30, Kenya Wildlife Service will host the largest ivory burn in history to serve as a statement against elephant poaching. You can watch the event live. It will be live on Periscope at 5 AM in PDT (New York: 8AM, London: 1PM, Beijing: 8PM).


For more information, visit WildAid and follow the organization to stay updated with upcoming actions.

And let's not forget: When the buying stops, the killing will too!