International Elephant Foundation

The International Elephant Foundation is composed of a group of AZA Zoos and other elephant facilities whose resident elephants are wildlife ambassadors helping to educate the public and raise valuable support dollars for elephant conservation. Paul Grayson, Zoo Deputy Director and Senior Vice-President of Conservation and Science, serves on the IEF Board of Directors. In 2011, the IEF provided a total of $230,000 in support of elephant conservation.

Projects related to African elephant conservation included programs that combat poaching and protect wild populations throughout Africa, capacity building through dissemination of research results utilized by conservation policy decision makers and education programming for various audiences including those who live in elephant range countries. One very valuable program funded by IEF is the “My Elephant Neighbor” program in West Africa. Through this program more than 2500 children and their teachers have been able to learn about local elephants. Not all African families are aware of elephant conservation needs and this program utilizes the powerful voice of children to carry that message home to their parents.  Photo by Jackie Curts