Appendix I

The threats to the elephant population, as of this writing, are very grave. Vulcan, a private company operating out of Seattle, Washington is dedicated to gathering accurate data on global issues, elephant predation being just one of them. Founded by Paul G. Allen, the group does in-depth very diverse research on climate change, sustainable communities, threats to our oceans, space travel, and Alzheimer’s research, among others.

Their Great Elephant Census, the GEC, was recently completed (8/31/16) and the results were very disturbing. Their data indicated 352,271 African elephants now in 18 countries represented a 30% decline in that population within the last seven years.

Poaching, habitat loss, and the illegal ivory trade have created an alarming, continuous threat for this essential population. Action to remediate this blight needs to accelerate to reverse this destructive trend. In the Appendix II, we’ve listed some of the organizations dedicated to the conservation of elephants and other endangered species.

Drone surveillance to protect elephants and rhinos from poachers and to monitor herds is beginning to evolve in several African communities. This technology can provide actual evidence for criminal activity and create an immediate response protocol for law enforcement, along with its census taking and monitoring of the conditions for different animal groups. The “Air Shepard” concept is beginning to take hold in many places. Hopefully, more new technologies, along with greater public awareness, will evolve to support the protection of these unique animals.