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World Elephant Day, by UN Environment Goodwill Ambassadors Li Bingbing and Yaya Touré

Li Bingbing

Actress, founder of Love Foundation, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador – China

As a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for China, the state of our Earth’s biodiversity is a matter of sincere concern to me. A recent UN IPBES report shows that over a million species are facing extinction at the hands of man!  

I joined the Wild for Life campaign in 2015 in order to raise awareness of the terrible impact that the illegal trade in wildlife has on species. Tens of thousands of elephants are being killed every year for their ivory tusks in a rapidly dwindling global population and record numbers for pangolin seizures are rife. Rhinos have to be protected at great expense by armed guards.  

China has made excellent strides towards greater protection through commercial bans on ivory and stronger enforcement but we have to do much more to encourage every citizen to care and protect endangered species until poaching ends.

For this year’s World Elephant Day, please join me in the protection of our biodiversity, our home, and make wildlife crime personal!


Yaya Touré

Footballer, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador

The UN Wild for Life campaign to reduce demand for illegally traded wildlife products is an example of how communication can help strengthen our fight for a healthier environment through increased awareness and social mobilisation for stronger laws and enforcement.

Since I joined the campaign in 2015, promoting my kindred animal the African Elephant, there have been some successes including bans by several countries across the globe. However, elephants are still under threat and have almost disappeared from my homeland, Cote d’Ivoire.

We all need to raise our voices to maintain the highest level of protection for elephants and the million other species threatened with extinction as recently reported by the UN IPBES Report.

Please join me and find your kindred species at https://wildfor.life/quiz

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