Silver Spring, MD (Vocus/PRWEB) January 11, 2011
The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) today announced support for 18 elephant conservation projects for 2011.
IEF-supported projects protect elephants from poaching, seek solutions for human-elephant conflict, equip and train community conservationists, increase our knowledge of the treatment and prevention of disease and educate people. In 2011, IEF will provide over $ 230,000 to support elephant conservation around the world, adding to the $ 1.8 million total invested in conserving elephants since its inception in 1998.
?The future for African and Asian elephants is in our hands,? said IEF Executive Director, Deborah Olson. ?The elephants in North American zoos inspire support for the International Elephant Foundation. When someone sees, or perhaps touches, an elephant and gains a greater understanding of the animal he or she has known only from picture books and video, they are then motivated to take action to save these species from extinction.?
IEF?s elephant conservation and education programs are ongoing both in managed elephant care facilities and in the wild. IEF is a non-profit organization established in 1998 by a group of zoos and other elephant care facilities to enhance and promote elephant conservation around the world. IEF receives the majority of its funding from AZA-accredited zoos.
?Elephants in AZA-accredited zoos are wildlife ambassadors who educate the public and raise money to support vital IEF conservation efforts,? said AZA President and CEO, Jim Maddy. ?AZA is proud to support the efforts of the International Elephant Foundation.?
?IEF is helping the Uganda Conservation Foundation to invest in proactive projects to strengthen elephant protection across Queen Elizabeth National Park?, explained Michael Keigwin, Founder, Trustee and Director of the Uganda Conservation Foundation. ?Without IEF, UCF would be unable to support the Uganda Wildlife Authority in recovering critical elephant populations from poaching, communities from crop raiding and habitats from illegal activity.?
?The International Elephant Foundation partners with the Northern Rangelands Trust to support community-led conservation in 17 community conservancies covering a vast 12,000 square kilometers in northern Kenya,? said Ian Craig, Executive Director for the Northern Rangelands Trust, ?In the last decade, the International Elephant Foundation has provided more than $ 300,000 for African elephant conservation activities in Kenya.?
For more information on these projects, please visit http://www.aza.org/pressroom/IEF2011
As a non-profit organization dedicated to elephant welfare, IEF solicits donations to fund worthy elephant conservation and research projects worldwide. To learn more about IEF or to contribute to elephant conservation efforts, please visit IEF?s website at http://www.elephantconservation.org/.
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. To learn more, visit http://www.aza.org.
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