Founded in 1984, Care for the Wild International is an international charity organization that states their mission is “to rescue, protect, and defend animals in need around the globe”. It was founded by Dr. Bill Jordan and has grown to accrue an annual income of around £700,000, which is just under $1 million American dollars. This income is used to fund animal rights efforts and projects across the world.
What Does Care for the Wild International Do?
Care for the Wild International provides support and funding for animal sanctuaries and rescues, mainly those specializing in wildlife. They are based in the United Kingdom and most of their resources go to the United Kingdom or to animal protection efforts in Africa. They participate in campaigning against things like the trade of exotic, endangered animals, poaching, snare trapping, and the culling of “pest” species, like badgers.
This organization offers donors the option to “adopt” projects, programs, and animals. This allows donors to give their money for specific causes they feel strongly about. Care for the Wild International also works to provide education to the public, helping people understand the need for protecting and saving wildlife and the importance of every animal’s role within their ecosystem. They also provide education to people to help them avoid human-wildlife conflict, which is becoming increasingly common as many countries expand and build in areas that are home to wildlife.
Taking a Stand Against Poaching
One of the most prominent stances of Care for the Wild International is their stance against the poaching of elephants, funding anti-poaching patrols in areas where elephants are native. They also fund an elephant orphanage that works toward releasing elephants back into the wild once they are rehabbed or able to care for themselves. This program works with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya.
Another prominent stance that Care for the Wild International has taken is against the sale of turtles in Tesco supermarkets in China. These turtles are sold live for food for consumers to take home. They campaign against the ivory trade in the United States and the poaching and butchering of rhinoceroses for their horns. They work toward preventing the poaching of elephants for ivory as well.
Educating the Public
Care for the Wild International partnered with the Center for Biological Diversity to educate the public on the damaging effects of climate change on the natural world. They published a book called Extinction: It’s Not Just for Polar Bears that discusses the horrific damage that climate change is wreaking in the Arctic. The book discusses how the changes in the climate in the Arctic are resulting in more changes than just the extinction of polar bears, although that is also a very real danger.
This organization works as a pioneer in educating and encouraging people about biological diversity, species protection, and changes that we can make in our own lives to help save our planet and the at-risk species currently living on it. Humanity has caused significant damage to the earth with development and climate change, but there are still changes that can be made and Care for the Wild International is here to help make that happen.
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