How the Current Mass Extinction of Animals Threatens Humans

How the Current Mass Extinction of Animals Threatens Humans

The Story of Life in Photographs- Frans Lanting

In this stunning slideshow, celebrated nature photographer Frans Lanting presents The LIFE Project, a poetic collection of photographs that tell the story of our planet, from its eruptive beginnings to its present diversity. Soundtrack by Philip Glass.

Frans Lanting

Nature photographer

Frans Lanting is one of the greatest nature photographers of our time. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Audubon and Time, as well as numerous award-winning books. Lanting's recent exhibition, The LIFE Project, offers a lyrical interpretation of the history of life on Earth

Ban the Ivory Trade - Save Elephants!

WILD :: Kenya's Elephants and The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust from Village Beat on Vimeo.

At the current rate of Elephants being slaughtered for their tusks to make 'Ivory'- it is forecasted that we could see the end of wild elephants across Africa in less than a decade. WILD is a film about the life of Elephants behind the Ivory Trade and Poaching Crisis in Kenya. What is happening to these keepers of the earth, what happens to the earth when there are no more keepers, and what is being done to protect the lives of these magical sentient beings. We hear from Julius- an elephant keeper at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphan's nursery in Nairobi, Nick Trent- DSWT's pilot working together with The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Kenya's massive Tsavo National Park and the many elephants that have taken refuge at the DSWT as they physically and emotionally rehabilitate to return to the wild where the land has become a battlefield between man and nature.

The time to act is now - and there is so much we can do.

Begin by getting involved here: iWorry.org. A campaign of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT)

iWorry is organizing marches around the world to urge world leaders to stop poaching, stop the trade and stop the demand. It is time for a COMPLETE BAN on the international and domestic trade in ivory. It is time to invest more resources into wildlife protection at a field level, to strengthen penalties for those involved in the ivory trade, to heighten security at ports and borders and to invest in educational efforts to stop the demand for ivory.

You can help too by donating online to support the orphans rehabilitation process and the anti-poaching efforts of DSWT. This is the beginning of restoring our connection to our home- the earth- and maintaining a safe wilderness for elephants to survive.

WILD
Directed by Village Beat
Produced by RYOT
Music:
Cliff Martinez, "I Drive" (from the original motion picture soundtrack of Drive).
Darkside, "Heart" (from Psychic, released Oct. 8, 2013).

Rescue of an Abused Elephant

Published on Jul 8, 2014

An elephant that was kept in chains for 50 years and abused by a drug addict who used the animal beg in India has been freed. Raju had been beaten and starved since being poached from the wild as a baby and resorted to eating paper and plastic to fill his stomach.

The chains and spikes wrapped around his legs had left him with chronic wounds and arthritis and he was in almost constant pain.

But now he is walking free for the first time after a daring rescue by conservationists with a court order by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to take the elephant from his abusive owner. The charity took Raju in the middle of the night on Thursday, supported by police and state officials. The elephant's mahout and previous owner tried to stop him being taken by adding more chains and having people block the roads for the rescue lorry. Experts worked for hours to gain the elephant's trust with fruit and encouragement until they could get him into the van that would take him to a sanctuary. When Raju was being rescued, volunteers said they saw tears rolling down his face. Pooja Binepal, from Wildlife SOS UK, said: "The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue. It was so incredibly emotional for all of us.

"We knew in our hearts he realised he was being freed. "Elephants are not only majestic, but they are highly intelligent animals, who have been proven to have feelings of grief, so we can only imagine what torture half a century has been like for him." Kartick Satyanarayan, the charity's co-founder, said the mahout tried to make the elephant charge by shouting commands. He added: "We stood our ground and refused to back down -- and as we did so, tears began to roll down Raju's face. "Some no doubt were due to the pain being inflicted by the chains, but he also seemed to sense that change was coming. "It was as if he felt hope for the first time in a very long time."

 Almost two days later and 350 miles away in Mathura, the chains were removed after 45 painstaking minutes. A video showed the moment they cut the painful spikes and chains binding the animal's legs so he could walk freely for the first time. Mr Satyanarayan said: "We all had tears in our eyes as the last rope which held the final spike was cut and Raju took his first steps of freedom." Other elephants at the Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura came to watch the new arrival. He is being fed to restore him to a healthy weight and vets are treating his many wounds and abscesses from beatings and chains. 

Rescuers at Wildlife SOS believe Raju started life in the wild but was caught as a baby by poachers and sold as a working elephant. Ms Binepal said: "The poachers either slaughter the mother, or they drive the herd into traps that are small enough only for the babies to fall into. The mother cries for her baby for days after he's been stolen -- it is a sickening trade. "The calves are then tied and beaten until they submit to their owners -- their spirits are effectively broken." He had almost 30 owners in his life but was found by the charity exactly a year before his rescue, working as a begging elephant on the streets of Allahabad. His owner, a drug addict, would tell pilgrims at religious sites his elephant could "bless" them in exchange for money. Raju's tail was almost bare because the man had been ripping out hairs to sell tourists as a good luck charm for hundreds of rupees. The elephant was covered in deep wounds from the spikes, as well as the spear used to discipline him and abscesses from his chains. He was kept chained outside with no shelter or rest, even in the summer heat, and was dangerously underweight. 

Raju is now recovering in Wildlife SOS' elephant sanctuary, where he will live with other rescued animals. The charity, founded in India in 1995, is appealing for £10,000 of donations to help start the elephant's new life. To donate, visit http://www.wildlifesos.org/ or cheques or postal orders can be sent to: Wildlife SOS, 483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS. 

Tags: Tags: Daring midnight rescue operation to free Raju the elephant. Elephant who was chained for 50 years cries tears of joy after being freed in India. Raju The Elephant Cries After Being Rescued Following 50 Years Of Abuse, Chains. Cry of freedom: Elephant chained up for 50 years is rescued 'and WEEPS with relief'. Daring midnight rescue operation to free Raju the elephant. 50 years a Slave : Raju the Elephant cried tears of joy after being freed from suffering. Incredible sight of the elephant that cried: Raju was held in chains, beaten and abused for fifty years and on the day he was released tears rolled down his face. Elephantastic! Raju the freed elephant's joy as he joins five females at sanctuary.

To donate, visit http://www.wildlifesos.org/donate or cheques or postal orders can be sent to: Wildlife SOS, 483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS.

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Kruger Park to Move 500 Rhinos to Save Species from Extermination

Kruger Park to Move 500 Rhinos to Save Species from Extermination

Penguin Spy Cameras & Other Wonders

Sensory: BBC Wildlife Director John Downer & the technology of 'spy-cam' filmmaking from Getty Images on Vimeo.

Small Cameras, Big Stories

Exciting developments in camera technology have levelled out of the playing field between the professional and the amateur and so the battle now for programme makers like award-winning wildlife filmmaker John Downer is having to produce something better than the average person.

The difference comes from investing into understanding the behaviour of the animal and devising a way to capture those unique moments, using a huge amount of research, inventiveness and dedication. This has resulted in exceptional and unique technical solutions that tell a story in an new and compelling way.

Discover more about Sensory visual content at :
curve.gettyimages.com/issue/sensory

See more BBC Motion Gallery footage at:
gettyimages.com/bbcmotiongallery