Amarula, in partnership with WildlifeDirect continues work to protect one of Africa’s most precious animals, the African Elephant. Elephants, one of Africa’s most iconic giants are the largest land mammals on Earth, part of the big five and are estimated to live for up to 70 years without human interference. Yet, they face extinction due to poaching. It’s up to humans to know better and do better. World Elephant Day, an international annual event that takes place on 12 August is dedicated to raising awareness about the preservation and protection of elephants.

Dr. Paula Kahumbu, a foremost authority on African elephants and CEO of WildlifeDirect says: “What many people don’t realise is that the future of the African elephant is at a tipping point, and this could have a far-reaching effect on the greater African habitat, because elephants are keystone species.  This means that they play an indispensable role in the healthy functioning of the larger ecosystem.” If elephants were to disappear off the face of the earth, the ecosystem would change dramatically or cease to exist altogether. This might be a reality at the rate that things are going – around 96 African elephants are poached for their ivory every day, that’s one elephant every 15 minutes.

In a heartfelt attempt to raise awareness on World Elephant Day, Amarula in partnership with WildlifeDirect, launched their “Don’t Let Them Disappear” campaign in various markets across the globe, including Duty Free, the United States, South Africa, Canada, Brazil and Germany. We attended the Johannesburg launch yesterday were a life-size elephant ice sculpture was unveiled  and we watched as the massive elephant ice sculpture slowly melted, it dramatically symbolised the disappearance of elephants. You like us can be part of the experience and spread the message on social media by using the hashtags #DontLetThemDisappear and #WorldElephantDay.

Collectively we can make a difference by spreading awareness around how important elephants are as a keystone species. We need more people to become aware of our future without elephants and understand that only if elephants thrive, so do we.  For more information about the “Don’t Let Them Disappear Campaign,” visit: www.amarula.com or  http://wildlifedirect.org.