Monday marked "World Elephant Day," and while Asia or Africa usually come to mind first when thinking about the behemoth creatures, the day actually has roots in Victoria.
Patricia Sims, a local Victorian and filmmaker, started the movement in 2012 and has since dedicated her life to the preservation and protection of the majestic mammals.
She says this year, the day is going to be a bit different from other years by shifting its focus to eliminating the ivory trade in Canada.
“We don’t have any legislation right now at all that controls how elephant ivory is being smuggled into the country. Ivory comes from elephants that are killed,” Sims said.
On Monday, Singapore announced it will impose a blanket ban on the domestic sale of elephant ivory and products from 2021 on.
It comes on the heels of a massive ivory and pangolin scale bust there last month.
While the ivory trade is a major threat to the tusked titans, poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are also threats to both African and Asian elephants.
Anyone who would like to learn more or find out how to get involved can visit www.worldelephantday.org.
