Exposing the truth behind the "elephant massacre," and more...

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Published on Saturday, 13 October 2018 19:42

Written by editor

It's been a busy month at Survival...
Hi everyone,

We've been thinking a lot about conservation as the International Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade happens in London this month.

When people talk about how to tackle poaching, we tend to hear about the need for more powerful weapons, arming more guards, "shoot on sight" policies, and so on.

But for tribal peoples, this militarization of conservation leads to violence, human rights abuses and even extrajudicial killing. They’re accused of poaching when they hunt to feed their families, or simply for collecting medicinal plants. They’re illegally evicted from their homes, beaten when they try to return, and in extreme cases are killed by wildlife guards.

Let's remember that tribal peoples were expert conservationists long before the word “conservation” was dreamed up. They understand their environment and its wildlife better than anyone else, so why is the conservation movement abusing the environment's best allies?

This has to change or it will destroy tribal peoples and conservation. Read more about the new approach to conservation we're championing here →

Best wishes,

Alice

This month we are...

• Exposing the truth behind Botswana "elephant massacre"

Some troubling news emerged a few weeks ago that some 90 elephants had been massacred in a poaching "frenzy" in Botswana. It made a huge splash and prompted calls for guards to be re-armed and poachers to be shot on sight. We at Survival sensed there was something not quite right about this story, and we had a hunch that the story was being pushed by those who want even more guns on the ground and for conservation to be "militarized" even further. Our director delved deeper in an article which asked, "What's the real story behind Botswana elephant deaths?" It's now emerged that we were right and that the story was actually false. Guards were never disarmed, and 90 elephants weren't killed by poachers.

This is deeply worrying. Calls for "shoot to kill" policies to be reinstated are certainly not a step forward for human rights or the people living in these areas who've been victimized in the past.

You can follow director @StephenCorrySvl on Twitter for the latest updates on this case.

• Thanking our incredible fundraisers

Jadie and Alkarim from outdoor adventure sporting company, Routes and Boots, are aiming to fundraise a whopping $5,000 for Survival. They're braving a 9 day trek up Mount Kilimanjaro to help stop the annihilation of tribal peoples.

If you find them as awe-inspiring as I do, it would mean a lot if you'd consider helping them reach their target by donating today →

If you're up for your own challenge, we'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch with Jade at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• Celebrating 50 years of Survival

Next year marks a huge milestone – our 50th anniversary. Looking back on all we've achieved, I enjoyed watching our great satirical animation "There You Go!" I couldn't believe that we first launched this challenge to forced development over a decade ago.

It's since been adopted by development workers and educators around the world and lauded by our indigenous partners. Desmond Tutu described it as "excellent," and here at Survival we tend to agree!

You can watch the video version here. If you'd like to help us distribute the latest edition of the book, get in touch by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Created by Oren Ginzburg and narrated by David Mitchell. Share There you go! Tweet There you go!

• Recruiting for our Spanish office!

Are you a native Spanish speaker? Our fantastic Madrid office director is looking for an able assistant. For more info and how to apply, check out our Spanish jobs page.
Be sure to hurry! The closing date is just one week away. Forward this email

P.S. We take no money from governments or big business so our integrity is never compromised. We rely entirely on your donations to keep fighting for tribal peoples worldwide. Please donate today. Without you, there can be no Survival.

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