In the past century, the world’s elephant population has gone from 12 million to about 400,000. Ivory poaching and conflict with humans have put this gentle and intelligent creature at risk of extinction in the next few decades.

The closest many of us will get to an elephant is in the zoo. Nevertheless, the idea of losing the world’s largest land mammal should break anyone’s heart.

One way to raise awareness about the dangers elephants face is by celebrating World Elephant Day.
Conservationists in Africa and Asia have been working for years to raise awareness about the plight of the elephant.

This global celebration of the elephant was launched in Thailand in 2012. Every year social media feeds are full of adorable pictures of elephants to remind us of the value of this highly complex animal.

Keep reading to learn about the importance of elephants and how you can celebrate World Elephant Day.

The history of World Elephant Day

Elephants have been in danger for decades. Hundreds of organizations in Africa and Asia work hard to raise awareness among those who may not know how close we are to losing such an important animal.
In 2012, Canadian conservationist and filmmaker Patricia Sims partnered with Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation to start World Elephant Day.

This allows average citizens and organizations to unite under a single banner and hold campaigns to celebrate elephants. This allows everyone to participate in creating and supporting new ways to support elephant conservation efforts.

Why are elephants important?

We know that elephants have incredible memories and complex social lives that sometimes make them seem almost human. Videos of elephants reacting to the death of one of their own show they have unique mourning rituals.

Scientists agree that elephants are one of the smartest creatures on the planet.

On their own, as animals on this planet, they are incredible and worthy of protection. However, they also play a key role in their ecosystem.

When elephants use their tusks to dig for water during a drought, it helps other thirsty animals get a much-needed drink. When these large animals move through the forest, they create paths for smaller animals.

Elephants are also one of the key ways some plants reproduce. When they eat plants, the seeds pass through them and can spread dozens of kilometers away. This is vital to the health of the ecosystem they live in.

Why are elephants in danger?

Elephants have large tusks made of ivory. As a rare item that can be carved to make a variety of artifacts, it became seen as a luxury item from the 15th century onwards.

As global demand grew, so did the killing of elephants. There have been various efforts to ban the ivory trade, but it continues underground. If it were not for the desire for ivory, elephants would face far fewer threats.

Elephants do not have natural predators, and the main other danger they face now is habitat loss. These massive animals need plenty of space and have vast migratory routes. But as the human population grows, there are more opportunities to clash with elephants.

Elephants may find themselves destroying crops and property and sometimes cause human deaths. Villagers may seek revenge and try and kill a troublesome elephant that is ruining their livelihood.

How your company can support World Elephant Day

Talking about World Elephant Day on your social media is a great way to engage with your followers.

There are many incredible images and videos of elephants out there that you can share.

Remember to credit the person who took them before you post. Then you can use the opportunity to spread the word on social media and support solutions for better care of elephants.

Hold a caption contest

Elephants are not only intelligent, but they are also hilarious. There are many videos of baby elephants playing and acting silly. Sometimes adult elephants also provide great entertainment.

Why not invite your followers to come up with a caption for the content that you post. You can pick your favorite one or ask other followers to like their favorites. Maybe you can give the comment with the most likes a prize.

To drive engagement, you can also call on your followers to sign the special World Elephant Day pledge. Get them to comment once they have signed it.

Host a World Elephant Day event

Suppose you want to go further than an informative or funny social media post. In this case, why not host a special event to celebrate World Elephant Day.

You can screen a documentary on elephants. Buying the “When Elephants Were Young” documentary will also support those working to save these animals.

You can also encourage your followers to donate to various causes that support elephant conservation. Remember to use the hashtag for World Elephant Day to attract more people to your page.

There are many examples of fun ideas to get people to participate in this special day.

Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD) – South Africa’s first dedicated Elephant Orphanage held several days of events. It encouraged followers to walk, run, or cycle to raise awareness for elephants. They also sold special merchandise on the day and organized a raffle for those participating.

Get your followers involved in saving elephants

For some people, elephants may seem like exotic animals that live far away. They may not realize the importance of this animal to our ecosystem. Saving animals from extinction is a critical part of protecting our environment.

You can get your followers involved in World Elephant Day and increase your social media engagement at the same time.

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World Elephant Day frequently asked questions

When is World Elephant Day?

Don’t forget to prepare your social media account in time! This is an international holiday held every year on August 12. It has been celebrated for a decade.

What is World Elephant Day?

It is a special day to highlight the dangers elephants face. Over 100 wildlife organizations celebrate it. The holiday encourages individuals to get involved to raise awareness and help raise money to protect these incredible animals.