The African Forest Elephant is predicted to become extinct by 2025 due to the illegal ivory trade.

The Elephant Neighbors Center in Nairobi, Kenya is an NGO that specializes in the education, conservation, and preservation, of African Forest Elephants, Black Rhinos, and Lions. The social control mechanisms applied are Moral and Environmental Values within Socialization.  An example of Moral Values would be; a plethora of extremists and activists believe that Kenyan Wildlife officials should have authority to kill poachers and leave their remains behind in the bush. From a moral stand point, killing anything is never the right answer. Instead of killing poachers, we must educate them and their communities about what is really happening to these species together with establishing ground based education and conservation programs. By not poaching these endangered animals, communities can sustain safari like eco-parks that attract eco-tourism and further bring funds into a region that was once on the brink of famine.

Jim Justus Nyamu, Founder and Director of the Elephant Neighbors Center has been successful with his conservation and education grassroots campaign; “Ivory Belongs to Elephants”, the first and only of its kind.  Jim has personally walked over 10,000km over the past year teaching communities about the illegal ivory trade and has also established eco-tourist parks along the border of Kenya and Tanzania.  Education is everything!

Another significant mechanism is Environmental Value. We are all connected in this world and every thing exists because of the circle of life. As Mufasa says in The Lion King; “Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As King, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures,  from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.”  As Stewards of this planet we need to recognize the brilliance of the majestic African Forest Elephants, the Black Rhinos and the Lions, and how they are cornerstone species of the world. Without Elephants our entire ecosystem will fail. Our moral and environmental socialization values are environmental values that deal with our relationship to our physical environment and we should always show concern towards climate change, pollution, and endangered species.

Ian Redmond, Tropical Field Biologist and Conservationist, explains; “If you value the forest than you must protect the Gardeners of the forest.”

For more information on The Elephant Neighbors Center (ENC) please visit our interactive Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/392490094150085/