To celebrate my last day of summer vacation my Mom let me pick my choice of activity today.  No brainer!  I chose to go to the Central Park Zoo!  I have been going to the zoo monthly since I was a year old.  I adore zoos and the CPK Zoo is practically in my back yard.  I was lucky enough to go to a few awesome zoos this summer.  I will post some fun pictures over the next few weeks but today I am concentrating on elephants.

Elephants are amazing creatures.  They are the largest living land mammal in the world and have no natural predators.  Lions prey on calves or weak elephants in the wild but generally leave them be.  Oh wait!  I’m wrong!  Elephants do have predators and they are called humans!  Humans are the biggest threat to elephants!

Humans poach elephants for their tusks which are made of ivory.  There are two types of elephant, the Asian elephant and the African elephant.  Humans are driving the African elephant to extinction!  I learned these facts today after I noticed a big banner at the zoo that said Ninety-Six Elephants.  I thought it was odd because CPK Zoo does not have elephants on exhibit.  The elephants are living pleasantly up at the Bronx Zoo spending their days grazing on grass, twigs and peanuts.  I walked over to the banner and saw that all the kids and their parents were drawing elephants and signing a petition.  96Elephants.org and Wildlife Conservation Society joined forces to bring awareness to the fact that 96 elephants are killed EVERY DAY in Africa!

According to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s website “Increasing demand for ivory is driving African forest elephants to extinction.  People across the world are uniting with the Wildlife Conservation Society to protect them.”   Interest groups want to do away with the bans, sell ivory and basically kill elephants for their tusks.  I signed a petition that went to my congress person to stay firm on the ban of ivory.  I am very proud to say that New York State banned ivory sales on 6/20/14.

I know that many people out there will say that there are other things to worry about other than elephants in Africa.  I disagree.  I want these majestic animals to be around forever!  I want to go to zoos and see how beautiful they are.  I want to go on safari and see them up close in their natural surroundings.  I want all animals to be here for all people to admire!   My dream is to be a veterinarian when I grow up.  I want there to be animals left on this earth to take care of.  Because I care I signed the petition and am posting this #elphie and you can too!

Kid Congeniality’s #Elphie

Today Mom promised me that if I graduate from veterinarian school I can have a big graduation party at the CPK Zoo.  She said it would definitely take twenty years to save up to have a party there.  Like an elephant, I’m not one to forget anything.   I will be writing my invites out in May 2034.  I fully plan on that invite being a picture of an elephant that I took myself on safari.  Poachers be warned!

Follow me on Instagram @KidCongeniality to see my #Elphie !

96 ELEPHANTS ARE KILLED EVERY DAY IN AFRICA. YOU CAN STOP IT.