According to the official Great Elephant Census, between 2015 and 2016 the overall population of African Elephants dropped by an astonishing thirty per cent. And it was this alarming statistic, due in large part due to the effects of poaching and trafficking, that served as the inspiration behind Figue founder and animal lover Stephanie Von Watzdorf’s Flying Elephants initiative.
In partnership with Space for Giants, a non-profit organization that develops programs to aid elephant conservation, Figue has created a limited edition Flying Elephant Tote and Pouch to support their efforts.
Limited edition Flying Elephant Tote.
Space for Giants was founded by Dr Max Graham, a fluent Swahili-speaker who has worked on elephant conservation and research for two decades. His approach is multi-pronged, to eradicate immediate threats to Africa’s elephant population and permanently secure their habitats, while also strengthening legal systems so that the law is a true deterrent to poaching in the African communities affected by the illegal wildlife trade.
Using solutions from the best minds across different sectors, the organization ultimately seeks to establish an equilibrium between wildlife and the growing human population. And through efforts including elephant education, land management and legal systems, Space for Giants is making strides towards defeating the illegal ivory trade and establishing harmony between wildlife and humans.
Limited edition Flying Elephant Pouch.
Proceeds from the sale of each Elephant Tote and Pouch go to the Space for Giants programs, and here are some of the ways that a purchase can make a difference.
Two totes will provide monitoring for a wildlife crime trial for a day, in Gabon or Uganda, to ensure poachers don’t evade punishment.
One tote will protect an elephant in the wild in Kenya for three months.
One pouch will fund 5 feet of electric fence to keep elephants and farmers in Gabon, Uganda or Kenya safe from each other.
One pouch will provide a mosquito net for a frontline wildlife ranger in Botswana.
25 totes will fund the training of a ranger as a field medic in a special operations unit in Kenya.
The name “Flying Elephant” was partly inspired by Space for Giants’ vision of a secure future for elephants and their landscapes — giving them “wings” to thrive.