My favourite animal is the Sri Lankan elephant. I’m half Sri Lankan, and I’ve been lucky enough to see wild elephants while visiting family in the country.

I love elephants because they have such a wise, calm presence. As a species, they’ve been around for an incredibly long time; it feels as though they know things that we don’t.
 
As part of my job, every day I hear disturbing stories about elephants being poached and trafficked, so it makes it even more special to see elephants up close in the wild, alive and thriving. It brings home the importance of the work we do at EIA to protect these magnificent creatures.

Our work is vital because the numbers of Asian elephants are dwindling. They have been listed as endangered for nearly four decades and fewer than 50,000 may now remain in the wild.

Can you make a gift to help us protect endangered species such as the Asian elephant?
 
In the course of its work on the illegal wildlife trade in South-East Asia, our Intelligence and Investigations team has noticed activity related to the trade in Asian elephant skin.

This trade is driven by the popularity of elephant skin powder, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine, and a macabre fashion for jewellery made from dried elephant skin. 

By donating today, you can help us fight to protect vulnerable Asian elephants and other endangered wildlife.