- 'Give up your ivory to save elephants!'
THE International Fund for Animal Welfare
(www.ifaw.org) is calling on people across the country to give up any ivory they may have in their homes to help protect the world's remaining elephants.
All the ivory collected during the 'amnesty', which is being launched during IFAW's Animal Action Week (October 4-11), will be used to create a memorial to the thousands of elephants gunned down to make ivory trinkets and carvings.
The memorial will be unveiled at a high profile public event in early March 2004 just before an important meeting of CITES (the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), where decisions may be made on whether to allow the sale of stockpiled ivory from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
IFAW, and many other conservation organisations, believe these sales could send a lethal green light to poachers, as it is impossible to tell the difference between legal and poached ivory once it is on the market.
IFAW's Wildlife Trade campaigner Jenny Hawley said:- "The bottom line is that every ivory object involves the death of an elephant. Poaching will only stop for good when consumers agree that ivory belongs to elephants and that ivory products have no place in the 21st century.
The talk about ivory sales at CITES has already led to increased poaching and seizures as illegal ivory traders gear up to get back into the market. Africa lost half of its elephants to poaching in the 1980s and we cannot allow that to happen again.
We are asking people to give up their ivory for good as a gesture to help protect elephants, and also to sign a petition urging the government to do all it can to prevent the re-opening of the ivory trade at the next CITES meeting."
Shauna Lowry, the face of Animal Planet, said:- "The elephant is the largest living land mammal and its future survival is in our hands. I've seen how traumatised elephants are when they lose one of their own through poaching - it is a tragic and heartbreaking scene.
Elephants are facing a great number of threats to their existence, and I am passionately dedicated to raising awareness of their plight.
I hope people will help save the elephants by supporting IFAW's Ivory Amnesty, and that all tourists will be deterred from purchasing ivory when abroad to reduce the demand that fuels the illegal trade."
Ivory which people send in may be an old ornament or family heirloom that's been gathering dust for years, or even old ivory billiard balls or piano keys. Or maybe it's something people bought on holiday without realising that it was illegal to bring it home. Ivory is openly on sale in some foreign resorts, and is still one of the items most commonly seized by Customs.
IFAW UK Director Phyllis Campbell-McRae said:- "Animal Action Week is when we ask the public to really get involved in helping to save animals. Its theme this year is 'Protecting the Last Elephants' and this is a great way everyone can help that campaign."
People wishing to donate ivory to the appeal should send an email to:-
ivory@ifaw.org
or write to:- Ivory Amnesty, IFAW, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UD. IFAW will arrange collection of the ivory at no cost to the donor. All ivory must be received by the end of January 2004.
All those who donate their ivory to this project will receive:-
• A certificate of donation
• An IFAW elephant badge
• An invitation to the statue unveiling event
• A tasteful fluffy elephant and/ or a DVD of the film 'Wanted: Dead or Alive?' by acclaimed wildlife film maker Simon Trevor, about the devastating effects of poaching on Kenya's elephants.
People can also sign the ivory petition online at www.ifaw.org
or send for copies at: Ivory Petition, IFAW, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UD.
IFAW is hoping to gather at least 50,000 signatures - the maximum estimate of Asian elephants left in the wild.
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- Suspicious Package - Dickie Lewis Pub, Walton Road,
Liverpool.
MERSEYSIDE
Police are appealing for witnesses following the discovery of a suspicious package at a bar in Kirkdale. Police were called to the Dickie Lewis public house on Walton Road at about 9.15pm last night (Sat 27 September 2003) following the discovery of the package by a member of the pub's staff.
The bottle shaped explosive device was thrown into the bar between 8.30pm and 8.45pm by a man. (No further description at this time)
The package did not explode and no one was injured during the incident.
The bottle has been taken away for forensic testing.
Superintendent Graham Yip said, "This is clearly a very serious incident. It is believed that the object is an explosive device, which has been designed to inflict significant injuries.
It was a busy Saturday night in the pub, with lots of people enjoying a night out. If the object had exploded, there could have been many innocent people, badly injured or even killed. We would appeal to anyone who knows anything about this incident or where this device has come from to come forward. We will treat any information in the strictest of confidence."
Police are keeping an open mind as to whether this incident is linked to other similar incidents in the city over the last week. There will be high visibility policing in the area tonight to reassure the local community.
Anyone with information is asked to contact 0151 777 4806 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
- Pet Warehouse, Job Advert
THE Southport store in the Pet Warehouse group is looking for a FULL TIME Manager. The Store is very busy and the applicant must have retail experience (essential), knowledge of small animals and birds is an advantage as well. Car owner preferred. Please apply in writing to:- Mrs J.M. Bleasdale, The Pet Warehouse Co, Oak Street, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, BB5 3JZ.
Southport CARES for children March of Protest
in Formby
FOLLOWING CARES highly successful Protest March (with over 3000 marchers) in Southport, CARES have organised yet another march against ill-thought-out and dangerous NHS cuts in our essential hospital services.
This March will be held in Formby. The event is to take place on:- Saturday 11th October at 12.00 noon.
They shall start at Duke Street Park, then protesters will proceed along Freshfield Road, Brows Lane, Chapel Lane, Three Tuns Lane, before heading back to Duke Street Park.
Full details are on CARES's website at:- www.southport-cares.cjb.net
They say "Please come along with friends & family to show your support for CARES’s campaign to restore our vital medical services.
WE can NEVER give in to this ludicrous NHS –orientated-situation ever, because our children’s lives are truly at stake!
Let’s show the NHS Trust that we will not go away!"
IF
YOU HAVE ANY JOB ADVERTS YOU WANT US TO DISPLAY EMAIL THEM TO US
NOW!
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