Thailand Calls for End to Ivory Trade With Virtual March
Renowned elephant rights activist Sangduen “Lek” Chailert announces Devil Wears Ivory Campaign
CHIANG MAI, Thailand – August 12, 2014 – By 2025, there could be no more elephants in the wild, thanks largely to the demand for ivory and the illegal poaching of these creatures.
Despite the current political situation in Thailand, one woman – renowned elephant rights activist and founder of Elephant Nature Park and Save Elephant Foundation (SEF), Sangduen “Lek” Chailert — is taking a stand and launching a silent march to raise awareness about the illegal ivory trade.
Dubbed the “Devil Wears Ivory” campaign, this virtual march begins August 12 and continues through the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos, Oct. 4, and calls upon people all over the world to support the campaign by taking a photo in a campaign T-shirt and submitting it to SEF along with a quote about why ending the ivory trade is important. All photos will be shared via the Devil Wears Ivory Web site as well as on Save Elephant’s Facebook page and more.
“Elephants are killed every day in SE Asia and in Africa for their tusks,” says Chailert. “We can no longer sit and wait for CITES and others to enforce an end to the ivory trade. It is up to us, as animal lovers, to raise awareness and to ask consumers around the world to stop supporting this cruel trade.”
The cast of characters participating is astounding.
Chailert has gained the support of numerous politicians, dignitaries and Thai celebrities to join the virtual march and expects more to pledge their support for the campaign in the coming days.
Ways to join the virtual march
There are many ways to show support for the Devil Wears Ivory virtual march.
On Devil Wears Ivory Web site: Click on “Virtual March” and go to the prompt to upload a photo. Choose a photo of you and upload it to the site, along with a quote about why the ivory trade needs to end. Once it is live on the site, be sure to share it via social media and tag #devilwearsivory.
On Twitter: Show your support for the campaign by tweeting about the need to stop the ivory trade and tag #devilwearsivory.
On Facebook: Upload the Devil Wears Ivory cover photo and change your profile image on Oct. 4 to that of an elephant. Additionally, share the link to your photo on the Devil Wears Ivory Web site directly to the Save Elephant Foundation Facebook page.
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