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One of the many projects sponsored by WildiZe Foundation is the new documentary film about elephants, Walking Thunder, made by the award-winning filmmakers Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson. A recent article in the publication, The Hill, describes the amazing film, and the influential fans the movie has won over. “The documentary has received praise from none other than Jane Goodall and Ken Burns. “The time and talent dedicated over a 10-year span has resulted in

Back in August at the CITES Conference of the Parties CoP18 the nations of the world voted to ban the export of live wild-caught elephants from Africa except in extraordinary circumstances. This was a “Big Win” for elephants. In particular, this vote appeared to put to rest the controversy that had swirling for some time regarding the potential sale of over thirty baby or juvenile elephants in Zimbabwe. China had agreed to pay Zimbabwe millions

As we at WildiZe work to save elephants and other species, alongside many other dedicated conservationists, there is an elephant in the room with us at all times. There is so much noise in the media about this subject already that it’s hard to contribute to the conversation meaningfully. It seems that there’s a lot of “talking around” the issue, not addressing it head on. There are big global marches happening today, September 20, to

Here is a first hand account by WildiZe’s CITES Team member Cathy Cooper, about being in the room during the crucial vote for the critically endangered Vaquita. As expected, CoP18 document 89 regarding the Totoaba, and therefore the survival of the critically endangered Vaquita, was heavily discussed in Committee Room II.   The US started the discussion with, “We are concerned that illegal harvest and trade of Totoaba continues, unabated, despite consistent pressure from the

If It Pays It Stays.  This pecuniary logic appears to be what passes for conservation these days in some circles.  At CITES CoP18 we have seen this specious form of argument, so to speak, with calls by some countries and certain enterprising individuals to increasingly legalize  international trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory.  The plan apparently is to substitute bankers, businessmen, and bureaucrats for bandits and black marketeers – the main difference between these suspect groups being the veneer of