How many of you were trumpeting, grunting and roaring at the march this past weekend? The 4th of October highlighted, not only awareness for elephants, rhinos and lions, but to all animals everywhere - World Animal Day.
In which city did you march? My dearest family and I attended the Global March for Elephants, Rhinos and Lions in Sandton, Johannesburg. Thousands had attended, and boy oh boy was I touched and super emotional. The spirit and the love echoed through the streets of Sandton as everyone's foot steps sung a tune of sorrow, but also a strong and powerful tune of hope.
My sister asked me, "What is this going to help anyway?" And fair point. A caller on 702 also called in and said that the march won't stop the poachers - did you sit at home and complain rather caller?
The march is not only for awareness. The march is for unity. The march is for hope. The march is thousands of voices demanding a change in government and politics. We didn't sit at home and mope about how the poachers will still poach - we want to cause a wave of protection through our song and our STOMP, STOMP, STOMP as we tell governments to
TIGHTEN YOUR LAWS ON ANIMAL TRAFFICKING.
Every 9-11 hours a rhino is poached. Every 15 minutes an elephant is poached. It is inconceivable at the rate that these two important and majestic creatures are leaving this earth.
I remember a year ago, just a year ago, people asked me what I wanted to do when I had completed my studies. My answer was simple, "I want to save the elephants." Strangely enough I received a lot of criticism and even on occasion, a laugh with the inevitable response, piercing through my heart, "Elephants do not need saving! There are too many of them!"
One year later a study is released, and the statistics are what I had been tripping over my own words with - plus minus 100 000 elephants had been slaughtered in three years. That is plus minus 35 000 a year.
This is why this year, especially in South Africa, I was humbled and so relieved to see that people have come to realise that the elephants are in danger too. That the greed of slimy and terrible people cannot only extend to one, but to many animals.
The animals cannot talk. And that is why we march. So we can talk for them. Cliche, but reality.
So, fellow trumpeters, grunters (I imagine that is the sound of rhinos) and roarers - keep singing your song, and never let it tune down, only tune up.
x x
