Every year more than 35,000 elephants are killed for their ivory. If the ivory trade continues at this rate the largest land mammal on our planet will be extinct within 10 years.
Inspired by the plight of the elephant, my favourite clothing designer Gudrun Sjödén is working with conservation network Ivory for Elephants (IFE) to help save the elephant in Africa. As part of her African animal themed autumn collection Gudrun pays tribute to these creatures with an exquisite range of elephant print designs and is donating £5 from the sale of every Elefant top to IFE to support their work in protecting elephants and rhinoceros, and reducing the ivory trade.
8 Facts About Elephants:
1. Elephants can hear one another's trumpeting calls up to 5 miles away.
2. Elephants can get sunburned, so they protect themselves with sand.
3. Elephants are pregnant for 2 years. Imagine!
4. Elephants are scared of bees.
5. Elephants are herbivores.
6. An elephant's brain is similar to a human's in terms of structure and complexity.
7. Elephants care for the wounded and grieve the deceased.
8. Elephants have one of the most close knit societies of any living species. A family can be devastated by a death, especially of a matriarch and some groups never recover.
To buy a Gudrun Sjödén 'Elefant' top visit www.gudrunsjoden.com. Find out more about the Ivory For Elephants project at ivoryforelephants.org. The classic BBC radio documentary Touching The Elephant has just been made available on CD.