The recent international outrage over the death of Zimbabwe’s Cecil the lion brought renewed attention to the plight of endangered wildlife under constant siege by poachers and trophy hunters. Due to the ivory trade, elephants are in particular danger: 10% of Africa’s elephants are lost each year and could disappear within the next 10 years. To help combat this threat, a new campaign, the Power of 10 initiative, has been launched by the Bodhi Tree Foundation focused on ten elephant conservation projects in ten critical landscapes in Africa and Asia. But travelers will benefit too. The ten travel companies involved in the initiative among them Extraordinary Journeys, Singita, Absolute Travel and Elevate Destinations are crafting compelling itineraries for travelers in these areas and donating 10% of the money earned to these projects. The hope is to raise at least $10,000 for each by December 8, World Bodhi Day.
The selections, among them Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary /Veterinarians International in Thailand, the Friends of Hwange Trust in Zimbabwe, the Wildlife Conservation Society in Tanzania and the South Luangwa Conservation Society in Zambia, were made in a painstaking process, according to Bodhi Tree Foundation co-founder Jena Gardner, President and CEO of JG Blackbook. “We identified destinations with considerable, yet vulnerable elephant populations where tourism plays a vital role,” she says. “Then once we selected the 10 locales, the board thoroughly vetted active and measurable conservation projects with field organizations focusing on anti-poaching, human-elephant conflict, habitat protection or rehabilitation and veterinary care. Our 10 handpicked beneficiaries have proven track records in wildlife conservation, but are struggling to secure the necessary resources and funds to protect elephant populations in their areas.”
Anyone who has traveled to these continents and observed elephants in their natural habitats is aware of how powerful an experience this is. The itineraries put together by these companies will foster that feeling, whether it's a trip to Namibia with Elevate Destinations or Cambodia with Absolute Travel. That’s the reason the companies involved were eager to join in. “The future of African and Asian elephants is largely dependent on the travel community,” explains Ken Fish, President and Founder of Absolute Travel who designed the trip to Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains. “More than any other industry, travel has the ability to bring people face-to-face with elephants in their wild habitats. These firsthand interactions are the most powerful way to demonstrate they are worth protecting.”
The trip itineraries are listed here. There couldn't be a better family vacation.
