Beyond our high profile rescues, Wildlife SOS is frequently making the news. This year alone there have been over 200 separate stories about Wildlife SOS that made it into the media worldwide. Here is a selection of 5 different headlines that highlighted the organization. These stories show the variety of ways Wildlife SOS works to help animals. We have both very serious and hard-hitting stories as well as the more lighthearted ways in which we are making a difference.
#1 Refuse to Ride – A couple of years ago we launched our ‘Refuse to Ride’ campaign which educates tourists on the cruelties inflicted upon elephants in this industry. As an extension of that, Wildlife SOS has teamed up with the Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI) to promote cruelty free wildlife tourism. Launched in 2021, this program will help international and national tourists select venues where wild animals are not exploited.
#2 Nina – In June an elephant by the name of Nina was rescued. This blind elephant received international attention for the cruelties she had endured. Her plight also resulted in many Bollywood stars rallying around her and calling for mandatory retirement of India’s working blind elephants. There are many elephants like Nina and we will continue in the future fighting on their behalf.
#3 World Elephant Day – World Elephant Day was August 12 and we celebrated it with ‘Toe Grey’! We asked our supporters to paint their toenails grey to show support for elephants! Thousands of people either painted their nails or shared posts of others who did, making it a huge success for a first year! Mark your calendars for next year, the more people who participate the greater impact we can have for elephants worldwide.
#4 Stopping Wildlife Trafficking – We have been on the front lines working to stop poaching and trafficking of wildlife for many years. It is part of our work that we don’t highlight as much as we should. Since the pandemic hit, wildlife has not had a break and our team has been busy working with the Forest Department to catch and apprehend those trading in wildlife. Recently, there was a successful raid and bust after months of monitoring and surveillance.
#5 So many wildlife rescues! – Many of the headlines are about the successful rescues and releases of many different species. Sometimes the rescue involves saving a leopard from drowning in a well, other times it could be reuniting leopard cubs with their mothers. One particular rescue broke our heart because it involved a bear that had been tragically stuck in a snare for days, but she is currently recovering in our care. We performed thousands of rescues and we are thrilled for each life that was saved.
This is only a small sample of the news headlines Wildlife SOS made by helping wildlife in a variety of ways. Our generous supporters make this life saving work possible and we are truly grateful to them for their caring and kindness to help India’s animals.
