Sunday 24 August 2014

12th August: World Elephant Day

African elephants and Asian elephants are two predominant elephant varieties of the world.  Asian elephants are smaller than their cousin African ones and their ears are also smaller in size.  Once there were as many elephants as human beings. But now they are few in numbers.

We human beings have wiped out their habitat and also poach them for their skin, meat and mainly for its ivory tusks.  Elephants tusks are costlier than gold in street markets especially in China and India.

Even though some religions worshiping elephants, these friendly animals are used for pleasure rides, carrying logs and begging on the roads.

To protect these poor creatures 12th August is celebrated as the World Elephant Day. This day was founded in the year 2011 by Canadian film maker, Patricia Sims and Michael Clarke. They named it Elephant Reintroduction Foundation. This day was then first celebrated in the year 2012. Since that day on, World Elephant Day is celebrated annually every year and is now supported by over 65 wild life organizations.
Large Ears are clearly visible in this South African stamp, issued in 1954

 
Two stamp issues by India in 2011

Zambian Stamp circa 1979 titled 'Kasaba Bay' of Lake Tanganyika

Colonial Spanish Stamps - 1950


IUCN and SSC formed a special group for the conversion of Asian Elephants, called the Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG).  It is a global network of specialists concerned with the study, monitoring, management, and conservation of Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in its 13 Range States across Asia.


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