World Elephant Day, which is observed on Aug. 12 every year, recognizes the importance of conserving elephants in the wake of a drastic decline in their global population.

It is estimated that the count of elephants worldwide has slashed by 62% over the past decade, and the figure indicates the animals face an imminent extinction by the end of the next 10 years.

Between the years 2014 and 2017, as many as 100,000 African elephants were illegally hunted primarily for their ivory that goes into making traditional medicines and ornate pieces of jewelry. Poaching or illegal hunting of elephants in favor of the notorious wide-ranging ivory trade puts the environment at the risk of losing its ecological balance. Therefore, it became an immediate necessity to protect the animals at all costs.

World Elephant Day is a global movement that empowers individuals to speak about things that pose threats to elephants and their habitats. The objective of this day is to create a sustainable environment for wild animals to live and thrive.

The first proclamation of this day happened in 2012 by the joint efforts of Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and Thailand's Elephant Reintroduction Foundation. Ever since then, the day is celebrated as a way of spreading global awareness about conserving the species.

Here are some quotes about how wonderful these gentle giants are that will motivate you to lend your support to the cause. (Courtesy: kidadl)

  • "Elephants love reunions; they recognize one another after years and years of separation and greet each other with wild, boisterous joy." - Jennifer Richard Jacobson
  • "There is mystery behind that masked gray visage, and ancient life force delicate and mighty, awesome and enchanted commanding the silence ordinarily reserved for mountain peaks great fires and the sea." - Peter Matthiessen
  • "Only elephants should own ivory." - Yao Ming
  • "The threat of extinction is more real than many realize. And the damage done to elephants directly leads to destruction of the ecosystem." - Li Bingbing
  • "Elephants are so wise and so funny and so endangered and so intelligent. I just think there is a lot to learn from them." - Gloria Steinem
  • "When western culture developed... We saw animals... rhino horn, the elephant's tusk, we saw it as making money." - John Kani
  • "No one in the world needs an elephant tusk but an elephant." - Thomas Schmidt
  • "Elephants can sense danger. They're able to detect an approaching tsunami or earthquake before it hits." - Jennifer Richard Jacobson
  • "I've known elephants with broken hearts, others with depression." - Mark Shand
  • "Dear people with no soul, stop shooting elephants." - Russell Crowe
elephant-114543_1280
Representative image Credit: Pixabay / ajoheyho