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The EPI Secretariat, and supporters of elephant conservation in Nigeria and beyond, was shocked by the news of the death of Elizabeth Ehi-Ebewele on the 8th of February. Elizabeth was the Head of Wildlife and CITES Management, in the Department of Forestry, in Nigeria’s Ministry of the Environment. It was Elizabeth’s enthusiasm and drive that played a crucial role in ensuring Nigeria joined the EPI last year. In the words of fellow Nigerian conservationist, Tunde Morakinyo, Elizabeth was ‘a dynamo, very inspiring, so committed’. Only a few days ago, we had chosen Elizabeth as the EPI’s Friend of the Month in our Newsletter. The EPI Secretariat would like to pass on its deepest condolences to Elizabeth’s family and colleagues.  We will miss her enormously, and we will  endeavour to honour her memory by continuing to campaign for elephant conservation in Nigeria.   

12th February 2019

EPI African Governments welcome the UK Ivory Bill

20th December 2018

‘We urge other governments to adopt similarly tough measures’,

We the undersigned, African member governments of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI), welcome the fact that today in London the UK’s Ivory Bill received Royal Assent, and therefore enters into law as the 2018 Ivory Act. This enacts tough new rules on the commercial trade of ivory in, from and to the UK, and is therefore a significant moment for elephant conservation.

As African elephant range states, we are all too aware of the serious threat posed by the ivory trade. Some 20,000 elephants are killed in Africa each year. Poaching is big business, run by ruthless networks that thrive on, and create, lawlessness. It is linked to the trafficking of weapons, drugs and the spread of terror. Hundreds of our wildlife rangers have been killed trying to defend elephants from well-armed poachers.

Learn more and see a list of signatories →

Photography by Karel Prinsloo copyright ©

Photography by Karel Prinsloo copyright ©

The elephant Crisis

Africa’s elephants are disappearing. Some 20,000 are killed each year- that’s 55 every single day- mostly for the illegal ivory trade. The overall number has declined by about one third over the last decade. Many elephants now live in small and isolated populations; if current trends continue, they will be wiped out in the next decade.

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Africa's Solution

 We, the EPI, comprise 19 African countries determined to end the killing of our elephants. The majority of surviving elephants live in our countries. We span the continent, from east to west, from savannah to dense forests. We are Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone. We have a plan to protect our elephants. We can do most of the work ourselves, but we also welcome your support.  

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