Conservation In Kenya

Amara: Fighting to save elephants and Tsavo!

Humankind is recklessly undermining the delicate balance of natural ecosystems the world over at an alarming rate. Nowhere is this more abundantly clear than in the murderous, greed-driven slaughter of African elephants. These magnificent creatures exhibit characteristics that are strikingly similar to those of people—they have comparable lifespans and gestation periods for their young, and they are intelligent. Perhaps most significant is the fact that elephants are self-aware, a trait modern science associates with empathy and higher social functioning. Yet, for all their human-like qualities, elephants are being brutally exterminated by the thousands in the name of costume jewelry, knife handles and quack medicine.

However, even in the heartless world of illicit ivory trade, knowledge trumps avarice, and that’s where Amara comes in. By working with the indigenous peoples of Kenya to develop sustainable ways of life through conservation education, Amara is making a difference every day. Amara understands that our best hope for ensuring the viability of keystone species like elephants and rhinos in Africa is to arm the local people with knowledge. Once they understand the crucial role these species play in one of nature’s most important ecosystems; once they learn how moderate changes in lifestyle can have a powerful impact on the viability of the creatures they share their environment with; once they become aware of how poachers and organized thugs are wrecking their very future, as well as the future of their children, the tide is stemmed, the trend is reversed and a sustainable outcome is possible.

That’s the mission of Amara—conservation through education.

It’s not just Kenya that will be adversely affected if elephants vanish.

Dr. Samuel K. Wasser, Director of the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington, states.

“The impact that loss of this keystone species would have on African ecosystems is difficult to even imagine.”

The extinction of elephants and rhinos is a real possibility in our lifetime, and the havoc unleashed will have far-reaching implications.

Consider these facts:

• In recent years, the price of ivory has skyrocketed from about $100 per kilogram to $1800. A single rhino horn can sell for as much as $60,000!

• With that kind of financial motivation, and given the current rate of slaughter, elephants will be extinct within 10 years; rhinos even sooner.

• The population growth of Kenya is one of the highest on Earth.

• Wildlife is Kenya’s premier natural resource, and the people of Kenya depend upon it for their very existence.

• Conservation through education is the only real hope the Kenyan people have of stopping this ruthless exploitation and destruction.

Conservation In Kenya

We are Amara, we refuse to live in a world without elephants, and we need your help.

Click here to make a donation to this vital cause.

At the very least, spread the word far and wide, and by all means, link to this site to stay informed as Amara fights to pull these enormous and beautiful mammals back from the brink of oblivion.