>>> DID YOU KNOW THAT ONE
ELEPHANT IS LOST TO POACHING
EVERY 15 MINUTES?
AFRICAN ELEMENTS ARE A KEYSTONE
SPECIES, MEANING ANY SPECIES
WITHIN THE ECO SYSTEM LARGELY
DEPEND ON HIM.
IT'S VITAL TO TAKE STEPS IN
THEIR CONSERVATION IN
ANTICIPATION OF WORLD ELEPHANT
DAY WHICH IS TODAY.
DR. PAULA KAHUMBU, CEO OF THE
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WILDLIFE
DIRECT IS MERE ARE MORE.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW
THIS MORNING!
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> SO TALK TO US MORE ABOUT THE
AFRICAN ELEPHANT AND HOW THEY
ARE SO IMPORTANT IN OUR ECO
SYSTEM.
>> WELL, AFRICAN ELEPHANTS AS
YOU KNOW IS THE LARGEST MAMMAL
ON PLANET EARTH TODAY.
THEY ARE ECO SYSTEM ENGINEERS.
THEY MODIFY, CHANGE AND THEY
BASICALLY PLANT SEEDS.
MANY, MANY SPECIES DEPEND ON
THEM SO THEY'RE VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT.
WITH ONE ELEPHANT BEING KILLED
EVERY 15 MINUTES.
BY THE YEAR 2030 AFRICAN
ELEPHANTS COULD DISAPPEAR FROM
AFRICA, AND THAT MEANS ALL THOSE
OTHER SPECIES THAT DEPEND ON
THEM WILL ALSO DISAPPEAR.
>> THIS IS HEARTBREAKING.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AND US DO TO
HELP GET INVOLVED TO CHANGE
THIS?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
THERE'S A LOT THAT PEOPLE CAN
DO, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES, WHICH IS ONE OF
THE LARGEST MARKETS FOR IVORY,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS
ELEPHANTS ARE BEING KILLED.
FIRST I'D SAY DON'T BUY IVORY
AND MAKE SURE ALL YOUR FRIENDS
KNOW THAT.
WE PARTNER WITH A COMPANY FROM
SOUTHERN AFRICA. FOR EVERY
BOTTLE OF AMARILO SOLD THEY WILL
MAKE A DONATION TO WILDLIFE
DIRECT TOWARDS OUR CRITICAL WORK
IN KENYA, AND WE MAKE SURE IVORY
POACHERS AND TRAFFICKERS ARE
ARRESTED, PROSECUTED AND PUT
BEHIND BARS.
YOU CAN ALSO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE
CAMPAIGN.
DON'T LET THEM DISAPPEAR, AND
VISIT WILDLIFEDIRECT.ORG TO FIND
OUT ABOUT OUR WORK AND MAKE A
CONTRIBUTION IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
>> I THINK SOMETHING AS SO
SIMPLE WHERE YOU CAN PROTEST
KIND OF WITH YOUR WALLET BY NOT
BUYING IVORY IS A SIMPLE WAY TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THAT.
IT'S SO SAD BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE
ANIMALS DON'T GET ENOUGH CREDIT,
ESPECIALLY ELEPHANTS.
THEY'RE SUCH SMART ANIMALS TOO
AND PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THAT.
>> ELEPHANTS ARE AMAZING.
>> AND SO WHAT IS THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LIFE-SIZED
ELEPHANT ICE SCULPTURE ON WORLD
ELEPHANT DAY?
>> WELL, WE'VE ERECTED A
LIFE-SIZE ELEPHANT SCULPTED OUT
OF ICE IN THE MIDDLE OF
MANHATTAN AND ITS BEEN LEFT TO
MELT IN THE SUMMER HEAT.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS IS THAT
IT SYMBOLIZES THE DISAPPEARING
OF ELEPHANTS.
WE COULD LOSE THEM WITHIN OUR
LIFETIMES JUST BECAUSE OF THE
IVORY TRADE, SO EVERY PERSON WHO
HAS BOUGHT OR OWNED ANY IVORY
WHATSOEVER IS REALLY A PART OF
THE REASON WHY ELEPHANTS ARE
BEING SLAUGHTERED IN AFRICA.
YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S SO IMPORTANT
THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THEY
HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY, AND IT
COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS NOT BUYING
IVORY.
>> WELL, TELL US MORE TIME.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR VIEWERS
CAN GET INFORMATION ON HOW TO
HELP.
GIVE US THAT INFORMATION AGAIN
AS WE CLOSE HERE.
>> WELL, YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN, DON'T LET
THEM DISAPPEAR, BY GOING TO
AMARULO.COM AND VISIT
WILDLIFEDIRECT.ORG AND LEARN
MORE ABOUT ALL PROGRAMS AND HOW
TO HELP US.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US TODAY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SURE TO
POST THIS INTERVIEW ALSO ONLINE
TO OUR WEBSITE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR
WANT TO SEE THIS AGAIN AND LEARN
ABOUT THEIR CAMPAIGN BE SURE TO