1. An Independent Supplement by Mediaplanet to USA Today
august 2015
Actress Lupita Nyong’o
speaks up for thevoiceless
as an international
elephant ambassador.
Saving Our Wildlifesavingourwildlife.com
ONLINE
Jointhepetition
forAfrican
elephant
protection
INSIDE
Oceanadetails
thepressing
needtopreserve
ouroceans
3. Looking Out for Our Endangered Allies
By Russell A. Mittermeier,
Ph.D., Executive Vice-Chair,
Conservation International
Everyone knows that it’s
important to protect wildlife.
But if someone asked you
why, could you answer—or
would you believe that
fighting climate change is
one reason?
Species have a crucial role to play
in ensuring a stable climate. But
this role is often overlooked when
researchers or governments assign
values to the benefits that nature
provides, such as fresh water, food
supply and recreation. This could
leadustounderestimatethethreat
that the looming extinction crisis
posestolifeasweknowit.
Unsung amphibians
Take the humble salamander:
these amphibians are often overs-
Advocacy
3MEDIAPLANET
hadowed by their noi-
sier frog relatives, but
chances are they live
in your back yard—
moresalamanderspe-
cies exist in the U.S.
than anywhere else.
Woodland salaman-
dersplayanimportant
roleinthecarboncycle
by eating the insects
that tear apart and eat
leaves, which releases
carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere. With
fewer insects, more leaves stay
on the ground, decomposing and
directing their carbon into the soil
instead of the air, where it contri-
butes to climate change. The bad
news? Many salamander popula-
tionsappeartobedeclining.
Seedier matters
Another example involves tropi-
cal fruits. As a primatologist, I’ve
spent more than 45 years working
in tropical forests and have seen
firsthand the role of large fruit-
eating animals, or “frugivores,” in
Links in the chain
Itturnsoutthatonlytheseanimals
candispersesomeofthehardwood
seed species that are most effec-
tive in removing carbon from the
atmosphere. Unfortunately, many
of these animals are heavily hun-
ted and in some cases no longer
existinsomeforests.Removethese
species,andbeforelongyoureduce
the potential of these forests to
slow climate change. It’s clear
that the risks of ignoring the role
of species are potentially huge. In
thewords ofAldo Leopold,an early
conservationist:“Tokeepeverycog
and wheel is the first precaution of
intelligenttinkering.” n
dispersing the seeds of
hardwood trees. This
includes primates such
as spider monkeys but
also large birds such
as toucans, curassows
and even forest-dwel-
ling tortoises.
When you eat a fruit,
you eat around the
pit or seed. Not so for
many of these animals.
Rather than removing
the edible part from
the seed—a laborious
process—many animals simply
swallow the fruit whole, digest
the sweet part and then disperse
theseedintheirfeces.Someseeds,
in fact, won’t even grow unless
they have passed through the gut
of one of these animals!
PHOTO:ConservationInternational
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATION
OF THE AMERICAN
BURYING BEETLE
USA–Midwestern
States
CENTER FOR
AVIAN HEALTH IN
THE GALÁPAGOS
ISLANDS
Galápagos Islands
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATZION
OF CARNIVORES
IN AFRICA
Africa
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATION
IN FOREST PARK
USA–Missouri
RON GOELLNER
CENTER FOR
HELLBENDER
CONSERVATION
USA–Missouri
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATION
IN THE HORN OF
AFRICA
Africa
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATION
OF THE HORNED
GUAN IN MEXICO
Mexico and
Guatemala
INSTITUTE FOR
CONSERVATION
MEDICINE
Worldwide
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATION
IN MADAGASCAR
Madagascar
CENTER
FOR NATIVE
POLLINATOR
CONSERVATION
Worldwide
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATION
IN PUNTA
SAN JUAN, PERU
Peru
SAHARAN WILDLIFE
RECOVERY CENTER
Africa
CENTER FOR
CONSERVATION
IN WESTERN ASIA
Western Asia
Today. Tomorrow. Together.
Animals Always.
The conservation efforts of the Saint Louis Zoo, both through our WildCare Institute
and Institute for Conservation Medicine, are far-reaching. We work to ensure animals
as well as people, across the globe, continue to survive and flourish side-by-side
for years to come. Please join the Saint Louis Zoo and our more than 180 partners
in creating a sustainable future for us all. Visit us at stlzoo.org/conservation.
stlzoo.org/conservation
4. Elephant Poachers:
The Struggle for Ceasefire
news
Banning ivory is crucial
to ending the elephant
extinction crisis.
As hundreds of intricately carved
ivory statues flowed up a conveyor
belt and into a rock crusher in
the middle of Times Square last
month,millions around theworld
werewatchingastrongstatement
againstwildlife trafficking.
Grounding concern
The global ivory trade is currently
responsible for the brutal slaugh-
ter of as many as 35,000 elephants
per year in Africa. That is 96 elep-
hants per day, or 1 elephant every
4
15 minutes.As long as there is any
market for ivory, armed criminal
groups will continue to illegally
kill elephants for profit.
Banning ivory products is the
next step. Surveys have shown
that the number one thing that
could deter people from wanting
to own ivory is making it illegal.
Once possessing ivory is seen as
unacceptable, the public demand
for itwillwane.
Growing support
Based on input from the
President’s Advisory Council on
Wildlife Trafficking, we expect
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
to soon issue a rule restricting
domestic interstate trade in ivory.
Urged by grassroots conserva-
tion coalitions like 96 Elephants,
some states are rushing to fill in
the gaps by passing laws that stop
trade within states that is not
covered by the federal regulations.
New Jersey and New York led the
way last summer, and California
is poised to become the third state
to ban ivory if Assembly Bill 96 is
signed into law this year. Similar
efforts are under way in a dozen
more states.
Leading by example
While the U.S. does not approach
China in the magnitude of ivory
consumption, we have little stan-
ding to call for action on the part
of China or any other ivory consu-
ming nation if we have not done
all we can to stop the ivory trade
here at home.
As long as there is a price tag
on those tusks and ivory trinkets,
poachers and traffickers will con-
tinue to kill elephants. By imple-
menting strong ivory bans at the
federal and state level, we show
the world that ivory holds no
value to people unless it remains
onanelephant.Ifwetrulywantto
save the world’s remaining elep-
hants,we can do no less. n
By John Calvelli, Executive
Vice President, Public Affairs,
WCS; Director, 96 Elephants
savingourwildlife.com
Mozambique burned more than
two tons of ivory on July 6, 2015.
Photo: Nuno Noronha
TAKE A STAND
96 ELEPHANTS ARE KILLED
IN AFRICA EVERY DAY
5. awareness
The cheetah popuation is
one-tenth what is was 100
years ago and on a crash-
course for extinction.
The cheetah is the oldest of all
the African big cat species. Once
found throughout Asia and Africa,
cheetahs are now only scattered
in several countries in sub-Saha-
ran Africa, with fewer than 100
remaining in Iran.
Cheetahs are threatened by
human-wildlife conflict, habitat
loss, poaching and indiscrimi-
nate trapping and shooting. This
is because most cheetahs live on
farmlands sharedwith people and
livestock. On top of this, approx-
imately 300 cheetah cubs are
smuggled out of the Horn ofAfrica
each year to supply the illegal
pet trade, primarily destined for
Racing to Save the Wild Cheetah
5MEDIAPLANET
Middle East Gulf States.Five out of
sixcubswilldiealongtheway;the
remainder will likely suffer from
poor nutrition and lack of health
care and die prematurely.
Built for speed, cheetahs are
equipped with blunt, semi-tracta-
ble claws (think spiked shoes on a
world-classsprinter)andtailsthat
act like rudders. They are icons of
pop culture, with many busines-
ses, sports teams and celebrities
referencing them through their
brands. Despite their unique qua-
lities and popularity, cheetahs
have sadly become Africa’s most
endangered big cat.
There is hope
Through diligent efforts of com-
mitted conservationists,strategies
to mitigate conflict are making a
difference.Some examples include
the advancement of conservan-
cies, which are community-based
partnerships that manage wild-
life populations, job training to
enhance livelihoods and the adop-
tion of livestock guarding dogs. In
Namibiawherethesestrategiesare
being applied, the cheetah popu-
lation has stabilized and is in the
process of growing.
Namibians are learning to co-
existwithpredatorsandprey.They
understand wildlife brings tre-
mendous value in driving eco-tou-
rism.Theyknoweachspeciesplays
a role in maintaining the delicate
balance of the ecosystem. Using
newtechnologiestocommunicate,
we can share these solutions with
other conservation organizations
and people everywhere who wish
tosavethismagnificentspeciesfor
futuregenerations. n
By Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder
and Executive Director,
Cheetah Conservation Fund
6. Photo:KristianSchmidt/courtesyTheDavidSheldrickWildlifeTrust
inspiration
A Voice for
the Voiceless
6
The Race to Protect Our Wildlife
SincelifebeganonEarththerehavebeenmajorevents
thathavecauseddevastatingmassextinctions—ice
ages,volcaniceruptions,meteorstrikes.Today,
humanconsumptionthatoutstripsthesupplyofresources,
alongwithalackofcareforwildlifeandhabitatsiscausing
anothermassextinctionevent.
Wildlifeisthreatenedbypoaching,overfishingand
habitatdestruction.Mammals,fish,birdsand
insectsalsoabsorbthesametoxicpollutantsin
theairandwaterthathumansabsorb.Plasticpollutionin
theoceans,forexample,iscausingmasscontaminationthat
feedsupthechainfrommarinelifetohumanlife.
This is the good news:There are millions of childrenwho
lovewildlife,feel the injustice of habitat being lost andwant
to help protect animals and their habitats.All they need is
some guidance to help them take action and the knowledge
that they really can make a difference.
Electroniccommunicationshavehelpedrightsocialwrongs
fordecades.Socialmedia,streamingvideoandinstant
messagingcangalvanizepeopletowardeco-consciousness.
Creatinginstantforumsforcrimesagainsttheenvironment,
suchasworldwidedocumentationofplasticwaste,willraise
awarenessandideallygenerateaction.
Daniel Raven-Ellison
National Geographic
Explorer, Co-Author,
“Mission: Elephant Rescue”
Paul A. Pereira
CEO and Chairman
of the Board, MHG
What are some of the top issues facing wildlife
preservation efforts today?
How can we galvanize young people to be proactive
about conservation?
savingourwildlife.com MEDIAPLANET
Go inside Lupita’s visit and see how your choices
impact elephants at savingourwildlife.com
Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o steps into a new role as a Global
Elephant Ambassador of WildAid in an effort to push poaching into the history books.
By WildAid
D
ozens of elephant
families are fortunate
enough to roam the
Amboseli National
Park park, one of the increasingly
few places in Africa where elep-
hants have been relatively protec-
ted from the rampant poaching
that on average claims the lives of
nearly 100 elephants a day.
Bigger, happier family
OneAmboselifamilyhasaspecial,
recent addition—a plucky year-
old calf named Lupita. She is, of
course, named for actress Lupita
Nyong’o, whose stirring perfor-
mance in “12Years a Slave” earned
her anAcademyAward in 2014.
Nyong’o observed her name-
sake baby elephant on a recent trip
throughhernativeKenyawithWil-
dAid,whichworkstoendtheillegal
wildlife trade by dissuade consu-
mers from buying ivory and other
products.“Shefollowedhermother
closelyandgaveoutaloudtrumpet
when she wouldn’t stop to breast-
feed,” Nyong’o recalled during a
keynote address at a June event in
Nairobi. “Lupita was being stub-
born—that made me proud. I like
a girl who knows what she wants.”
Threats from every side
Commercial ivory has been banned
for a quarter-century. But ivory’s
allure hasn’t faded. Growing afflu-
ence in China has created a new
class of ivory consumers, and a
“one-off”saleofAfricanivorystock-
piles to China in 2008 both elevated
demand and provided a smokes-
creenfortheillegaltradetoflourish.
The ivory trade persists elsewhere
too—even in the United States, the
world’ssecond-largestmarket.
Across Africa, an estimated
33,000 elephants are killed annu-
ally for their ivory, profiting
militant groups and internatio-
nal criminal syndicates. That’s
why Nyong’o is speaking out for
Kenya’snaturalheritage,ofwhich
elephants are a crown jewel.
A face for the cause
As a global elephant ambassador,
Nyong’o will appear in public ser-
vice announcements and print
campaigns to be distributed inter-
nationally, from Africa to East
Asia and the U.S. Some of these
campaign messages will feature
another stop on Nyong’o’s recent
journey:TheDavidSheldrickWild-
lifeTrust’s Nairobi elephant orpha-
nage, where she had a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity to bottle-feed
an eager orphan. “It is time to ban
sales of ivoryworldwide,” Nyong’o
said, “and to consign the tragedy
of the ivory trade to history.” n
7. Ivory Sales in the u.S.
Help drive the slaughter.
That has to end.
BanIvoryImports.org Center for Biological Diversity
8. PHOTO:InternationalFundforAnimalWelfare
insight
O
ne elephant is kil-
led every 15 minu-
tes for the ivory
trade. As a long-
living and slow-
breeding species, elephants can’t
survivethisrampantslaughter.To
reverse this tragic trajectory, we
have to smash every link on the
bloody trade chain from poaching
to trafficking to demand.
Breaking the mold
The last part of the equation is
crucial. If no one wants to buy
ivory, then elephants will not be
poached. This brings us to China,
currently the world’s largest con-
sumer of ivory. Here, the demand
for ivory and corresponding price
tags have reached an all-time
Can Stigmatizing Ivory
Save the Elephants?
Strong laws, vigorous enforcement and meaningful penalties will help stigmatize
ivory consumption, reduce the ivory trade and ultimately save elephants.
8
high due to a booming economy,
market availability and consumer
ignorance.
Surveys show that 70 percent of
Chinese were not aware that elep-
hantsdiewhentheirivoryistaken.
The word “ivory” in Chinese lite-
rallytranslatesto“elephanttooth,”
making it very easy to believe
that their ivory might fall out like
human teeth and grow back.
Illuminating the issue
Evaluation shows that public
awareness campaigns revealing
the brutal origins of ivory redu-
ced the consumer group with the
most propensity to purchase ivory
by half. NGO campaigns can erase
ignorance but cannot eradicate
greed. Striking at the heart of
wildlife crime requires enhan-
ced laws to remove grey markets
where ivory is legal to trade in
some cases and illegal in others.
Grey markets not only provide
cover for illegal trade, they con-
fuse consumers, who often incor-
rectly assume market availability
for legality. Ivory markets any-
where are a threat to elephants
everywhere.
Taking the stand
Global e-commerce and techno-
logy giants Alibaba, Taobao, eBay
and Tencent led the way in ban-
ning online trade of ivory.
Celebrities, from pop icons to
religious leaders, from sports
stars to business tycoons, are
voicing their concern for elep-
hant survival, motivating a social
movement calling for the govern-
ment to impose a ban on ivory
trade to help stop poaching of
elephants. Buoyed by the increa-
sing public support for banning
ivory trade, the Chinese govern-
ment destroyed contraband ivory,
suspended ivory imports for a
year and pledged to halt commer-
cial ivory trade.
Strong laws banning ivory
trade combined with vigorous
enforcement and meaningful
penalties will increase the risk of
illegal trade, stigmatize ivory con-
sumption, supporting demand
reduction efforts. As a native,I am
proud of the collective commit-
ment within China to protect this
majestic species. This is the type
ofmomentumwe’vebeenstriving
for. All of the progress gives me
hope that we can end the ivory
trade before it’s too late. n
By Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia
Regional Director, Internatio-
nal Fund for Animal Welfare
savingourwildlife.com MEDIAPLANET
Grey markets not
only provide cover
for illegal trade, they
confuse consumers,
who often incorrectly
assume market
availability for legality.
10. advocacy
10
The world’s oceans are in
trouble. Yet we can restore
the health of our oceans
with better management and
immediate action.
Our oceans cover 71 percent of
the globe. They are home to most
of the life on our planet and are
essential to regulating our earth’s
natural systems. They are also
vital to our well-being and sus-
tenance, and providing income
and food to hundreds and millions
of people across the globe. Heal-
thy oceans sustain, nourish and
inspire us.
In peril
Unfortunately, overfishing and
poor management practices have
altered or destroyed marine eco-
systems and driven many species
to the brink of extinction. Scien-
tists report that the annual catch
of ocean fish peaked in the 1980s
and has declined eachyear since.
Researchers estimate that sea
creatures weighing a total of 2 bil-
lion pounds are captured, killed
and discarded every year. This by-
catch includes vulnerable marine
animals like dolphins, whales,
sharks and sea turtles. Destruc-
tive fishing practices such as bot-
tom trawling destroy underwa-
ter habitat, further jeopardizing
ocean creatures.
Turning the Tide: Can Ocean
Destruction Be Reversed?
canturnthetideforthehealthand
abundanceofouroceanstoensure
their health, productivity and
beauty for generations to come. n
savingourwildlife.com MEDIAPLANET
By Oceana
Turning the tide
The good news is
that if we act now,
we can reverse ocean
destruction and save
marine life. By focu-
sing on three goals we
can have a profound
impact: avoidoverfish-
ing by setting science
based catch limits,
minimize by-catch
and protect habitat.
These are achievable
goals, especially when
tackled country by
country.
Twenty-nine coun-
tries and the European
Union produce and
control 90 percent of
the world’s wild sea-
food. By putting in
place responsible fish-
eries management in
these places first, we
canhaveahugeimpact
in allowing fish stocks
to recover.
Personal touch
Individuals can have
an impact in protecting our oce-
ans and marine life, too. You can
make educated seafood choices
by carrying a sustainable seafood
guideinordertoavoideatingover-
fished species. Instead of eating
from the top of the food chain
and consuming predator fish like
tuna and salmon, opt for smaller
“forage” species, which can make
for more sustainable, affordable
and abundant selections.
Most importantly,start to speak
uponbehalfoftheoceans.Votefor
responsible ocean policy, contact
your local representatives, and
help spread theworld about ocean
conservation.Together,wecanwe
PHOTO:TimCalver/Oceana
Twenty-nine
countries and the
European Union
produce and
control 90 percent
of the world’s wild
seafood.
11. SOLUTIONS FOR
POLLUTION FREE OCEANS.
Our oceans contain some of the planet’s most remarkable ecosystems that provide humanity with
an abundance of resources and are extremely vital to our existence, but sadly they are in grave
danger of being destroyed.
Inadequate policies for waste management and pollution, on land and in the water are
significantly responsible for the detrimental state that our oceans are in. Destructive un-recycled
petroleum based plastics are getting into our oceans, as is evident in the “Great Pacific Garbage
Patch” which is now disturbingly the size of Texas and continues to grow. Petroleum plastics, toxic
in nature, take centuries to degrade, breaking into small particles that are often ingested by our
marine life which die from choking, intestinal blockage or slowly sicken and starve. Two-thirds
of our fish test positive for petro plastics and our marine ecosystems are catastrophically being
affected with many species facing extinction.
Studies indicate land-based items make up 49% of all marine pollution while commercial &
recreational boating produces about 18%. Small items such as bottle caps, plastic utensils, and
food containers cumulatively cause a destructive impact on our oceans.
We utilize our oceans for so many essential things including medications. This has become
necessary as infectious organisms have developed strains resistant to soil and plant based ones,
and scientists continue to study the long-term effects toxic pollutants, consumed by marine life,
have on our human health.
Luckily, if we take action now, we can still reverse the damaging effects our oceans have endured.
Working together to identify solutions is paramount for humanity, and MHG has those solutions.
Education and awareness play a big part. As individuals become increasingly aware, they choose
sustainable actions and behaviors like avoiding single use plastic items and speaking out for
beneficial policies regarding ocean conservation and proper waste management for the earth.
Products that replace plastics will save our oceans.
In March 2015, the “OK biodegradable MARINE” certification became available from Vinçotte and
was awarded to MHG for their plastic replacements. MHG’s “Fantastic Non PlasticSM
” is a totally
biodegradable, renewable and sustainable polymer, fermented naturally from plant-based oils
with formulation for products that are completely customizable and replace plastics.
Vinçotte, renowned for extreme caution in awarding certifications, tested MHG’s product
according to international standards and confirmed that it would naturally biodegrade completely
in marine water instead of slowly disintegrating into smaller particles. The certification is the fifth
one MHG has received from Vinçotte.
Help us to provide solutions for healthier oceans.