Elephants are undoubtedly some of the most awe-inspiring creatures on the planet. Did you know that there have been many reports of elephants showing kindness towards other species, such as rescuing other animals at considerable costs to themselves? Did you know that they grieve for the dead… just like we as humans do?

These beautiful creatures love deeply and are passionate about life… and it is now time for us to stand tall next to our planet’s beautiful giants.

For those who have not yet heard the heart-breaking and horrific news…Botswana’s cabinet ministers are planning to lift a four-year hunting ban, with the introduction of elephant culling. What makes this news even more disgusting is that they are proposing to not only reintroduce trophy hunting into the country, but are also planning to turn the culled species into canned pet food.

Botswana is home to almost a third of Africa’s elephants, and the government is considering lifting a ban on big game hunting. While figures estimate the population to be around 130,000 elephants, the government is claiming it’s closer to 230,000 - the conflicting facts surrounding this issue has no doubt contributed to the uncertainty of whether this act is necessary.

The planned lift of 2014’s Hunting Ban is being spear-headed by President Masisi, who believes that this is a necessary step to take due to concerns from local communities regarding how the elephant’s increased migration routes have caused farming destruction and harvest loss. However, reports have also supported that the elephant’s migration routes have expanded due to climate change. With the Earth's temperature changes causing a decrease in rainfall which led to drier land, resulting in elephants traveling further for water and food.

If this is the case, then surely climate change is a reflection of the behaviour of humans, and elephants should never be held accountable or punished because of our actions.

Elephants are truly a beautiful breed. Perhaps the most fascinating quality of the elephant is its undeniable similarity to us; manifested by the close bonds they form with family members, their communication, life span, the care of their young and their emotions. Elephants experience many of the same emotions as humans do, and the herd is considered one of the most closely-knit societies of any animal.

“No one should ever be able to claim which being or animal takes precedence over another; we all share this planet and inter-dependency is key to the life span of our planet and the beings that call it home. If we start taking these extreme measures such as re-instating trophy hunting in an attempt to ‘live in harmony’, where do we draw the line?” – Nena Chaletzos, CEO of Luxtripper

This petition was launched with the sole intention of saving the elephants by dissolving these talks and strongly encouraging President Masisi and his government to end all their plans to lift the hunting ban.

We plan to gather 100,000 signatures that will allow us take it to debate in parliament to try to put a stop to the ban on elephant hunting being lifted.
Please sign below and be part of this movement.

For more information, visit Elephants Without Borders