Wildlife trafficking in general has escalated into a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry, and one of the primary areas of concern relates to elephant poaching. Elephant populations are rapidly plummeting, and one elephant is killed every 15 minutes to meet an alarming global demand for ivory products. 12 August marked the sixth year for World Elephant Day, a day of global awareness across dozens of elephant conservation organizations and an opportunity for concerned organizations and individuals to show their support — including several members of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
To help save these animals from extinction, the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (USWTA), of which the ATTA is a partner, is hosting an eBay auction this week to benefit the Alliance and support its World Elephant Day activities. Several ATTA members have generously donated trips and other items for the auction:
- Canyon Calling Adventures for Women
- Kingfisher Journeys
- Jungle Experiences
- Sticky Rice Travel
- Royal Expeditions
- Speyside Wildlife
- Wild Women Expeditions
- National Geographic Expeditions
- SeaTrek Sailing Adventures
- Say Hueque Argentina Journeys
The auction is now live and will run through Monday 21 August.
This is the second eBay for Charity auction in which the USWTA has participated. Last December, during the Giving Tuesday charity push, eBay hosted an auction on USWTA’s behalf. This coincided with the Alliance’s #BuyInformed social media campaign, which sought to raise awareness about wildlife trafficking in the United States and encourage consumers to “Be Informed, Buy Informed” during the holiday season.