Mali elephantsThe single worst incident of elephant poaching in Mali – historically – just occurred “through the weak spot/through the back door,” the far north east corner of the elephant range where we have not yet created community surveillance brigades. Initially thought to be five killed, further investigation puts the number at 7…including a mother delivering a calf.
WILD’s president, Vance Martin, and Program Director for the Mali Elephant Project, Susan Canney, are in Mali for strategic partnership meetings with numerous ministries within the Mali Government. They have just joined Nomba Ganame, Field Director, in central Mali to assess the situation.
Your help is needed to immediately create the protection brigades required to fill the gap and assure that this incident is not repeated.
Community elephant protection brigade
The army will provide and support an anti-poaching team to respond to our brigades’ warnings, “as part of their commitment to the elephants.” We need the night to gather additional volunteer brigades; your help is needed to help our local villagers protect their elephants.
Mali’s desert elephants survived a year of war and terrorism, thanks to the protection of these local communities that we’ve worked with for the past 12 years. This project has been a fantastic success story, but now we urgently need your help!
Please share this story and consider making a donation to the Mali Elephant Project. Your donation will go directly to our local community protection brigades. In order to keep these elephants safe, the locals need camels to patrol the area, and radios to call in any incidents. You can help them obtain these tools to protect Mali’s national treasure.
Donate to the Mali Elephant Project today 
Why do the local people protect the elephants? 
Camels: The key to sustainable elephant conservation in the Gourma
Protecting the elephants from war