Powerful, loving, and wise – elephants hold a great fascination for people worldwide. And yet they are threatened with extinction. Due to ivory trade and loss of habitat through humans, populations have been decreasing drastically in recent centuries.
Kenyan conservationist Dr. Paula Kahumbu has made it her life’s work to prevent this. She is CEO of the organization WildlifeDirect and won numerous awards for her work to protect endangered species in Africa. She has received international recognition for her efforts to stop the illegal trade in ivory and for her campaigns to protect Africa’s natural heritage. Kahumbu is National Geographic Explorer of the Year, winner of the Whitley Gold Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to conservation, and was named as one of the 25 Most Influential Women of 2022 by the Financial Times.
She has appeared in many documentaries on wildlife and the environment and has produced her own television series “Wildlife Warriors”. Currently, she is a part of the new documentary series “The Secrets of the Elephants” (National Geographic WILD) produced by Academy Award® winner James Cameron, which shows the life and behavior of elephants and what far-reaching consequences their extinction would have – not only on humanity, but also on the ecosystem. You can watch the series on Disney+.
In this episode, Paula Kahumbu gives us insights into her work with elephants, her successful fight against poaching and the ivory trade, and shows us how we can protect elephants.