In the future, Asian elephants face many challenges.
However, the elephants of Sri Lanka should give us all a
sense of optimism. Humans there are showing a
willingness and a real commitment to preserving wild
spaces for elephants. And cultural attitudes are
beginning to change around the world in ways that will
stop the ivory trade. We feel certain that if we all
work together, the future will be one in which our own
grandchildren will share the planet with future
generations of these wonderful elephants.
photo M. Noonan
For us,
the opportunity to study wild elephants has been truly
inspirational. We very much hope that you too have been
convinced to take steps in your own life to help spread
the word about wildlife conservation, and we hope that
you will support efforts that save wild places both
locally and globally. We firmly believe that the more
people understand wild animals, the more they will
respect them and care about their welfare.
If we
all act together, we can make the world a better place.
We really can.
Roseanne Schuster, Kelsey
Noonan, Lindsay Schamel, Daryl Hoffmann, Sunil Silva,
Michael Noonan, Gretchen Wagner, Sandy Mendel, Erik
Michaelsen, and (not pictured) Frank Mendel