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Action Alert: Take the 96 Elephants pledge

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications



There are 96 words in this paragraph. Each one represents an African elephant killed today for its ivory. It’s a grim figure, but there’s hope. Thanks to your support, rangers are on the ground deterring poachers and protecting populations. Now the work must continue at home with you. We need state by state ivory moratoria to close the legal loopholes that conceal black market ivory in the U.S. Take the pledge to let the elected leaders of Washington state know we will not stand for being a loophole. Join the herd to make your voice heard.



Take the Pledge
To stop the killing of elephants, we must stop the ivory trade. To stop the trade, we must end the demand. I pledge never to buy, sell or trade ivory, and I support a moratorium on ivory products in Washington state.



Why does my signature matter?
The United States has one of the largest markets for ivory in the world with legal markets providing a front for illegal sales. Recently, the Obama Administration announced its intention to ban commercial trade of ivory within the U.S. —an important step toward elephant protection. However, federal law can't stop ivory sales that stay within state borders. Closing all existing loopholes by enacting moratoria at both the state and federal level is essential. That's why we need all states to implement their own moratoria. In June, New York State Legislature passed landmark legislation that will end the sale and purchase of elephant ivory and rhino horn at the state level. Now Washington leaders need to hear from you that state-level action here is crucial to stopping this illegal trade and saving elephants in the wild.

Your pledge tells state leaders that we will not stand for being a loophole. We stand for elephants.

Help us reach our goal of getting 960 pledges by August 12, 2014—World Elephant Day. Take the pledge and share with your friends.

Original photos by Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society, modified by Rebecca Whitham/Woodland Park Zoo.

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