Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Conservation groups, elephant experts and biologists around the world have united in their condemnation of Zimbabwe’s plan to ship an ‘Ark’ of wild animals to North Korea. The grim deal to send two of each species of mammal found in Zimbabwe’s world-famous Hwange National Park is sending shock waves around the world.

Two wild-caught baby elephants are apparently to be included in this horrific haul. These infant elephants, so young that they are still suckling from their mothers, may not survive the trauma. Indeed, many are fearful that the capture, transport and incarceration of these wild animals in North Korea will lead, for many of the animals, to an untimely, and entirely unnecessary death.      

Will Travers, President of the Species Survival Network (SSN), stated: “Hwange National Park was historically seen as a haven for wildlife, a place of refuge. No longer, it seems.  We cannot sit back and watch this tragedy unfold. We ask everyone to join us in the condemnation of this terrible act of injustice for wild animals. Born Free Foundation is hosting a ‘pledge’ on its website (see below) where members of the public can express their opposition to this dreadful situation."

Joined by over 50 organisations from around the world, Dr. Joyce Poole, Co-Director of ElephantVoices and a world authority on elephants, has written a letter to the Zimbabwean authorities outlining the reasons why this practice must be abolished. "We simply know too much about the social, emotional and cognitive lives of elephants to ignore the suffering caused by the abduction, capture and incarceration of individuals. Capturing and shipping baby elephants around the world is inhumane and unacceptable."

You can read and download the open letter through this page on ElephantVoices' website

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