The number of people on this globe continues to grow. This at the expense of flora and fauna. Many animals lose their natural habitat and are cornered with, of course, the associated disastrous consequences.
Elephants, are they next mammoth?
Do these gentle giants also have rights? How can we improve living in harmony with these intelligent, social animals in which humans, elephants and nature interact in a more balanced way with each other? “I love elephants. There is so much we can learn from them. They are the most gentle, wise, caring, playful, sometimes stubborn creatures I have come across. They often make me laugh, they inspire me to be a better person and they gave me a life that I could never have imagined. I wrote my first business plan when I was seven years old. To convince my parents that I knew what I was getting myself into when I wanted a dog. My Bachelor of Marketing gave me the tools to start a business, and to realize change. I soon decided that I much rather use these skills for something I believe in. During a volunteer holiday in a sanctuary for abused elephants in Thailand, I lost my heart to the unchained, gentle giants living there. With the dream of rescuing elephants from the streets of Bangkok, I founded ‘Bring the elephant Home’ in 2004. With two rescued elephants, I started a journey through a world of flirty elephant traders, poor villagers, well-wishing monks and angry animal rights advocates. The more I learned about elephants, the more I became aware that the loss of habitat is the cause of most problems elephants are facing. I changed my focus to wild elephant conservation and I learned how much Thai people love to participate in conservation action. I noticed how everything is connected, in nature, as well as in programs to realize change. Fifteen years later, I coordinate community-based elephant conservation projects in Asia as well as in Africa. By using an approach that combines community engagement, education, research and practical conservation action, I will keep fighting for a better future for the Asian and African elephants!”
Antoinette has a Master in Biology, at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio with dissertations on human-elephant conflicts, and the effectiveness of beehive fences as an elephant deterrence measure. In 2018, she started a position as a PhD researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on the social dimensions of human-elephant coexistence in Africa, in collaboration with Elephants Alive. Antoinette won three conservation awards, is a co-author of the book “The Great Elephant Escape”, featured in three documentaries and is a trustee of the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx