ACTION ALERT: Trump Versus the Elephants
Ekō

(June 26, 2026) — ‘Super-tusker’ elephants are the beloved elders of their communities: older males who survived decades of poaching, drought, and habitat loss long enough to grow massive tusks that scrape the ground.

But right now, these rare, magnificent animals are in danger: Tanzania and Botswana are giving out permits to rich hunters to shoot them for sport – and a study has shown that under Trump, elephant trophy imports to the U.S. have skyrocketed!

Tanzania and Botswana are both top destinations for safari tourism – people coming to see elephants and other iconic animals alive. If we use this year’s travel season to put this cruelty in front of travelers and tourists, we could pressure the governments to pass an emergency trophy-hunting ban. Add your name to our urgent call, before the elephant-hunting season reaches its peak:

ACTION:
Governments of Tanzania and Botswana:
Ban the Elephant Trophy Hunts!

Elephants are the gentle giants of the Savannah: incredibly social and highly intelligent, they’ve even been observed grieving. After one older member of the herd was killed, other elephants visited to pay their respects, mourning and gently touching his body with their trunks.

There are only about 30 super tuskers left in the entire world. Now, some of the world’s last super tuskers are directly in the crosshairs thanks to the tripling of elephant trophy imports into the U.S. since Trump’s first term – from 117 in 2018 to more than 300 in 2025. More than two-thirds of the trophies came from Botswana, which has issued 400 elephant hunting licenses in 2024 alone, mostly to rich international hunters who pay up to $50,000 for one permit.

It’s often argued that these permits provide significant income for locals, but organizations on the ground have repeatedly emphasized that elephant hunting does not benefit local communities.

In 2017, Trump called the slaughter of these precious creatures a “horror show.” Now he’s turning the other way, but public outrage has stopped trophy hunting before. Let’s make sure the governments of Tanzania and Botswana feel our global community’s call to protect the last super tusker elephants from cold-blooded hunters. It’s not too late to turn this around:

Governments of Tanzania and Botswana: Ban the elephant trophy hunt – pass an emergency ban now!

Thanks for all that you do, 
Rosa and the team at Ekō

Links
Botswana issues 400 elephant hunting licenses, drawing fresh opposition
Voanews 23 December 2024
Trade in elephant ‘trophies’ soars during second Trump presidency | Discover Wildlife
Discoverwildlife 12 May 2026
Why only 30 super tuskers roam Africa and what sets them apart from all other elephants
A Z Animals 09 January 2026