Dear John,
Last year, while I was exploring the Texas Renaissance Faire with friends, I spotted a sign across the dirt path ahead. “Elephant rides!” it read. Just ahead of me were elephants, draped in costumes, moving slowly under the weight of people on their backs. The music and laughter of the crowd carried on, but all I could feel was a heavy ache in my chest.
I couldn’t stop thinking about their lives. How long have they been forced to perform like this? Where do they go every night? My mind raced with questions like: What can I do? Could I come back and protest? Would it even make a difference?
It’s likely that many of you have felt something similar—seeing an animal being used or exploited in your own community and feeling compelled to take action. To right a wrong. To protect a life. But often, the hardest part is knowing where to begin.
That’s exactly why we put together this new resource for World Elephant Month: a guide on meaningful ways you can help elephants right in your own community.
Petitions and donations are critical to driving change—but they’re not the only actions you can take. Getting informed, connecting with your community, and speaking up in everyday ways are powerful starting points. Because sometimes the most powerful changes begin not with a massive campaign—but with one person, choosing to act. To learn more, read this action guide in our latest blog post:
