The weary war rages on bathed in angst and urgency
Statistics reflect a poaching holocaust worse than the 1980s
China’s lust for ivory seems insatiable
Ivory is now funding terrorism
Six Kenya Wildlife Service rangers have been killed this year fighting poachers
Just two days ago one of Amboseli Trust’s much loved matriarchs, Qumquat was butchered along with two of her daughters. The youngest daughter was rescued and taken to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. And as far as I know a 6-month-old grandson is still missing.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has the power to stop this slaughter. The catalyst will be African Environmental Film Foundation’s (AEFF) film “White Gold.”
Still in production, the film will be released at the CITES March conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
“White Gold” is similar to another AEFF film produced 10 years ago called “Wanted Dead or Alive,” which then had a dramatic impact at the CITES conference. The hope is that this project will be as effective prompting international delegates to vote in favor of Kenya’s elephants.
Ian James Saunders who is a producer of the film and with the Tsavo Trust says it best,
“The international illegal trade in ivory and the huge demand from countries such as China could ultimately result in the destruction of a the earth’s largest land mammal and have a huge negative impact on the economies and internal security of some of the world’s most impoverished countries. The effects of this illegal trade could very well be felt by the world’s industrial nations as international terrorist and organized crime syndicates increasingly use the illegal trade in natural commodities to fund their activities.”
To view the trailer of this powerful film – click on “White Gold“
For further information on AEFF and “White Gold” please check out their website.
