Anti-poaching #DontLetThemDisappear campaign gains traction at Melrose Arch

MELROSE ARCH – An elephant ice sculpture was erected at Melrose Arch on World Elephant Day to raise awareness about elephant conservation.

August 15, 2018

Sarah Koning 1 minute read

CEO of WildlifeDirect Dr Paula Kahumbu addresses the crowd gathered at Melrose Arch for the Don't Let Them Disappear campaign on World Elephant Day.

In response to the large number of elephants that are poached every day, drink brand Amarula in partnership with WildlifeDirect erected an elephant ice sculpture at Melrose Arch on 12 August.

The global Don’t Let Them Disappear campaign, which also took place in markets in the US, Canada, Brazil and Germany, sought to raise awareness about elephant conservation on World Elephant Day.

A crowd gathers to hear about the reasoning behind the melting elephant ice sculpture at Melrose Arch on World Elephant Day.

Global brand development manager at Amarula Saramien Dekker said, “The elephant sculpture, positioned outside Moyo at Melrose Arch attracted many mall visitors throughout the day who were curious to find out what was going on.”

Kenyan conservationist, a foremost authority on African elephants and CEO of WildlifeDirect, Dr Paula Kahumbu addressed the crowd and was available throughout the day to speak to anyone who wanted to get involved in helping elephants.

“What many people don’t realise is that the future of the African elephant is at a tipping point, and this could have a far-reaching effect on the greater African habitat, because elephants are keystone species. This means that they play an indispensable role in the healthy functioning of the larger ecosystem,” said Kahumbu.

Kahumbu explained that if elephants were to disappear off the face of the earth, the ecosystem would dramatically change or cease to exist altogether. She added that about 96 African elephants are poached for their ivory every day, equating to one elephant every 15 minutes.

An elephant ice sculpture is erected in the square at Melrose Arch to raise awareness about elephant conservation.

As the massive elephant ice sculptures in the various countries slowly melted, it sought to symbolise the disappearance of elephants as a result of poaching. This led to mass awareness as people from cities across the world witnessed the sculptures disappear.