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The African
elephant. The iconic creature is the number one largest animal
that roams the globe alongside humans. And thanks to
those humans, it's also one of the most endangered.
We've developed the lands these elephants live on and feed
from, robbing them of vital habitat and then killing them when
they come too close to us, calling it "human-elephant
conflict" even though the fault is entirely ours. That,
coupled with a historic and horrific rise in ivory poaching in
the 21st century, has driven African elephant populations down from
millions to mere thousands.
And now, at the most critical
point in African elephant conservation, a Canadian oil company called ReconAfrica wants
to take 34,000 square kilometers, or over 13,000 square miles,
of elephant habitat in Africa and turn it into a desolate,
poisonous oil field. The lives of 130,000 elephants
hang in the balance. Noise, vibrations, and other
disturbances from construction and exploratory work are known
to terrify and drive away elephants, forcing them into
unfamiliar, less suitable, and even dangerous
territory. Not to mention oil projects like this
almost guarantee leaks and spills that will poison
water and soil for elephants and the entire
ecosystem, including communities of people that depend on the
land for sustenance and income.
Sign the petition and ask that Namibia and
Botswana protect these elephants, the lands of their people,
and the environment as a whole by denying ReconAfrica permits
for their oilfield!
Thank you,
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Lauren
The Care2 Petitions Team
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P.S. If permits
for this oilfield in Namibia and Botswana are granted, it
could be the tipping point for African elephants' extinction.
Sign the petition. |
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