Happy World Elephant Day 2025!

Today is the thirteenth anniversary of World Elephant Day!

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

World Elephant Day asks you to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. On World Elephant Day, August 12, express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants alike.

Support World Elephant Day so that we can continue to be a collective voice speaking out on behalf of elephants!

Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China tripled, driving illicit poaching through the roof. If the elephants are to survive, the demand for ivory must be stopped . As of 2011, the world is losing more elephants than the population can reproduce, threatening the future of African elephants across the continent. Bull elephants with big tusks are the main targets and their numbers have been diminished to less than half of the females. Female African elephants have tusks and are also killed, which has a terrible effect on the stability of elephant societies, leaving an increasing number of orphaned baby elephants. There are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born . . . elephant populations continue to decline.

Elephant Facts
*Elephants ‘rumble’ or purr like cats as a means of communication.
*The elephant is the largest land mammal and can weigh up to 10 tons!
*African elephants care for wounded individuals in the herd and can even identify the bones of deceased members.
*When an older male wants to spar with a younger male, they will often get down on their knees, which is a great example of elephant empathy. Elephants also appear to express grief, compassion, self-awareness, altruism and play.
*When an elephant calf is not feeding, it might suck its trunk for comfort, just as a human baby would suck its thumb. If a baby elephant is distressed, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
*Elephants eat constantly throughout the day and night and can consume up to 5% of their body mass.
*An elephant’s trunk serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device, a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting & digging and much more.
*The elephant brain is the largest of all land mammals with a mass of over 5kg. It is similar in structure to the human brain.
*Observations suggest that elephants are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Self-recognition indicates a very high level of awareness, restricted only to few species.

The World Elephant Day website has partnered with many organizations to help protect elephants. Visit their site to learn more and to help.
https://worldelephantday.org/

Happy World Elephant Day 2024!

Today is the twelfth anniversary of World Elephant Day!

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

World Elephant Day asks you to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. On World Elephant Day, August 12, express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants alike.

Support World Elephant Day so that we can continue to be a collective voice speaking out on behalf of elephants!

Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China tripled, driving illicit poaching through the roof. If the elephants are to survive, the demand for ivory must be stopped . As of 2011, the world is losing more elephants than the population can reproduce, threatening the future of African elephants across the continent. Bull elephants with big tusks are the main targets and their numbers have been diminished to less than half of the females. Female African elephants have tusks and are also killed, which has a terrible effect on the stability of elephant societies, leaving an increasing number of orphaned baby elephants. There are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born . . . elephant populations continue to decline.

Elephant Facts
*Elephants ‘rumble’ or purr like cats as a means of communication.
*The elephant is the largest land mammal and can weigh up to 10 tons!
*African elephants care for wounded individuals in the herd and can even identify the bones of deceased members.
*When an older male wants to spar with a younger male, they will often get down on their knees, which is a great example of elephant empathy. Elephants also appear to express grief, compassion, self-awareness, altruism and play.
*When an elephant calf is not feeding, it might suck its trunk for comfort, just as a human baby would suck its thumb. If a baby elephant is distressed, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
*Elephants eat constantly throughout the day and night and can consume up to 5% of their body mass.
*An elephant’s trunk serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device, a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting & digging and much more.
*The elephant brain is the largest of all land mammals with a mass of over 5kg. It is similar in structure to the human brain.
*Observations suggest that elephants are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Self-recognition indicates a very high level of awareness, restricted only to few species.

The World Elephant Day website has partnered with many organizations to help protect elephants. Visit their site to learn more and to help.
https://worldelephantday.org/

Happy World Elephant Day 2023!

Today is the eleventh anniversary of World Elephant Day!

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

World Elephant Day asks you to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. On World Elephant Day, August 12, express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants alike.

Support World Elephant Day so that we can continue to be a collective voice speaking out on behalf of elephants!

Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China tripled, driving illicit poaching through the roof. If the elephants are to survive, the demand for ivory must be stopped . As of 2011, the world is losing more elephants than the population can reproduce, threatening the future of African elephants across the continent. Bull elephants with big tusks are the main targets and their numbers have been diminished to less than half of the females. Female African elephants have tusks and are also killed, which has a terrible effect on the stability of elephant societies, leaving an increasing number of orphaned baby elephants. There are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born . . . elephant populations continue to decline.

Elephant Facts
*Elephants ‘rumble’ or purr like cats as a means of communication.
*The elephant is the largest land mammal and can weigh up to 10 tons!
*African elephants care for wounded individuals in the herd and can even identify the bones of deceased members.
*When an older male wants to spar with a younger male, they will often get down on their knees, which is a great example of elephant empathy. Elephants also appear to express grief, compassion, self-awareness, altruism and play.
*When an elephant calf is not feeding, it might suck its trunk for comfort, just as a human baby would suck its thumb. If a baby elephant is distressed, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
*Elephants eat constantly throughout the day and night and can consume up to 5% of their body mass.
*An elephant’s trunk serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device, a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting & digging and much more.
*The elephant brain is the largest of all land mammals with a mass of over 5kg. It is similar in structure to the human brain.
*Observations suggest that elephants are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Self-recognition indicates a very high level of awareness, restricted only to few species.

The World Elephant Day website has partnered with many organizations to help protect elephants. Visit their site to learn more and to help.
https://worldelephantday.org/

Happy World Elephant Day 2022!

Today is the tenth anniversary of World Elephant Day!

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

World Elephant Day asks you to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. On World Elephant Day, August 12, express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants alike.

Support World Elephant Day so that we can continue to be a collective voice speaking out on behalf of elephants!

Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China tripled, driving illicit poaching through the roof. If the elephants are to survive, the demand for ivory must be stopped . As of 2011, the world is losing more elephants than the population can reproduce, threatening the future of African elephants across the continent. Bull elephants with big tusks are the main targets and their numbers have been diminished to less than half of the females. Female African elephants have tusks and are also killed, which has a terrible effect on the stability of elephant societies, leaving an increasing number of orphaned baby elephants. There are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born . . . elephant populations continue to decline.

Elephant Facts
*Elephants ‘rumble’ or purr like cats as a means of communication.
*The elephant is the largest land mammal and can weigh up to 10 tons!
*African elephants care for wounded individuals in the herd and can even identify the bones of deceased members.
*When an older male wants to spar with a younger male, they will often get down on their knees, which is a great example of elephant empathy. Elephants also appear to express grief, compassion, self-awareness, altruism and play.
*When an elephant calf is not feeding, it might suck its trunk for comfort, just as a human baby would suck its thumb. If a baby elephant is distressed, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
*Elephants eat constantly throughout the day and night and can consume up to 5% of their body mass.
*An elephant’s trunk serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device, a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting & digging and much more.
*The elephant brain is the largest of all land mammals with a mass of over 5kg. It is similar in structure to the human brain.
*Observations suggest that elephants are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Self-recognition indicates a very high level of awareness, restricted only to few species.

The World Elephant Day website has partnered with many organizations to help protect elephants. Visit their site to learn more and to help.
https://worldelephantday.org/

Happy World Elephant Day 2021!

Today is World Elephant Day!

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

World Elephant Day asks you to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. On World Elephant Day, August 12, express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants alike.

Support World Elephant Day so that we can continue to be a collective voice speaking out on behalf of elephants!

Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China tripled, driving illicit poaching through the roof. If the elephants are to survive, the demand for ivory must be stopped . As of 2011, the world is losing more elephants than the population can reproduce, threatening the future of African elephants across the continent. Bull elephants with big tusks are the main targets and their numbers have been diminished to less than half of the females. Female African elephants have tusks and are also killed, which has a terrible effect on the stability of elephant societies, leaving an increasing number of orphaned baby elephants. There are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born . . . elephant populations continue to decline.

Elephant Facts
*Elephants ‘rumble’ or purr like cats as a means of communication.
*The elephant is the largest land mammal and can weigh up to 10 tons!
*African elephants care for wounded individuals in the herd and can even identify the bones of deceased members.
*When an older male wants to spar with a younger male, they will often get down on their knees, which is a great example of elephant empathy. Elephants also appear to express grief, compassion, self-awareness, altruism and play.
*When an elephant calf is not feeding, it might suck its trunk for comfort, just as a human baby would suck its thumb. If a baby elephant is distressed, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
*Elephants eat constantly throughout the day and night and can consume up to 5% of their body mass.
*An elephant’s trunk serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device, a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting & digging and much more.
*The elephant brain is the largest of all land mammals with a mass of over 5kg. It is similar in structure to the human brain.
*Observations suggest that elephants are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Self-recognition indicates a very high level of awareness, restricted only to few species.

The World Elephant Day website has partnered with many organizations to help protect elephants. Visit their site to learn more and to help.
https://worldelephantday.org/

World Elephant Day 2020

Today is World Elephant Day!

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

The escalation of poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity are just some of the threats to both African and Asian elephants. Working towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world.

World Elephant Day asks you to experience elephants in non-exploitive and sustainable environments where elephants can thrive under care and protection. On World Elephant Day, August 12, express your concern, share your knowledge and support solutions for the better care of captive and wild elephants alike.

Support World Elephant Day so that we can continue to be a collective voice speaking out on behalf of elephants!

Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China tripled, driving illicit poaching through the roof. If the elephants are to survive, the demand for ivory must be stopped . As of 2011, the world is losing more elephants than the population can reproduce, threatening the future of African elephants across the continent. Bull elephants with big tusks are the main targets and their numbers have been diminished to less than half of the females. Female African elephants have tusks and are also killed, which has a terrible effect on the stability of elephant societies, leaving an increasing number of orphaned baby elephants. There are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born . . . elephant populations continue to decline.

Elephant Facts
*Elephants ‘rumble’ or purr like cats as a means of communication.
*The elephant is the largest land mammal and can weigh up to 10 tons!
*African elephants care for wounded individuals in the herd and can even identify the bones of deceased members.
*When an older male wants to spar with a younger male, they will often get down on their knees, which is a great example of elephant empathy. Elephants also appear to express grief, compassion, self-awareness, altruism and play.
*When an elephant calf is not feeding, it might suck its trunk for comfort, just as a human baby would suck its thumb. If a baby elephant is distressed, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
*Elephants eat constantly throughout the day and night and can consume up to 5% of their body mass.
*An elephant’s trunk serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device, a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting & digging and much more.
*The elephant brain is the largest of all land mammals with a mass of over 5kg. It is similar in structure to the human brain.
*Observations suggest that elephants are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Self-recognition indicates a very high level of awareness, restricted only to few species.

The World Elephant Day website has partnered with many organizations to help protect elephants. Visit their site to learn more and to help.
https://worldelephantday.org/

A Bear Cub Wants To Know If You Can Come Out And Play

I think the answer is yes, you'd love to. Right?

A Faun In A Lap

That is all.

As you were.

Infant Pachyderm Joy

Baby elephants having the time of their lives in an inflatable pool.

That is all.

Carry on.

BEAUTY: Interiors--Nurseries

Nurseries and baby rooms: one of the great interior design dilemmas. I know parents who are expecting are caught up in a whirl of excitement. They are entering into unknown territory and preparing for a lot of change in their lives. So perhaps that is why many parents fall back on tired, expected, clichéd nursery design ideas. I also know that parents are excited to be expecting a boy or a girl (if they choose to discover such information ahead of time) but when I see a pink "girl-themed"/princess nursery or a blue "boy-themed"/cowboy-nautical-truck nursery, its like a cheese grater on my spine (please parents, do NOT impose archaic psychological gender restrictions on your children). "Cute-sy" nurseries drive me nuts. A nursery can be as eclectic, stylish, interesting, and dramatic as any other room in the house.

Take for example, this lovely and very sophisticated nursery by Erin Gates. Classic and stylish elements are set off against fantastic warm gray walls. And the painting is a beautiful addition of color and form.

Now, this spectacular nursery by the equally spectacular Tamra Kaye Honey features a slate and coral palette within a Hollywood Regency style. The wallpaper is amazing, and the brass butterfly on the ceiling and the spooky-cool paintings tacked to the closet door make the space.

Designer Summer Thornton used Scalamandré's legendary zebra-print wallpaper in this eclectic nursery that blends vintage, Hollywood Regency, and ethnic elements into a tantalizing, pleasing mix.

This bright, inviting nursery by Lucas Studio is more like a lovely guest room. The color palette and pattern-mixing are superb, lending a sun room or garden room feel.

Lovejoy Designs created a fresh, clean nursery in pale celadon and persimmon. Light and refined. The orange is a perfect counterpoint to the serenity of the celadon and adds a spark of life.

A nursery does not have to be Disneyland or an imposed gender statement. Use your imagination... don't fall back on common, stereotypical "baby" rooms. There are and should be no limits. You can even put a photo mural on a nursery wall of a Slilm Aaron's Palm Springs image, shown below, and make your baby's early years into a fabulous mid-century, jet-set adventure!

http://eringatesdesign.com/
http://houseofhoney.la/
http://www.summerthorntondesign.com/
http://www.harbingerla.com/
http://www.lovejoydesigns.net/

Baby Bats

I love bats. I have been meaning to buy a bat house for our yard for a while now...

BEAUTY: Painting--Ray Caesar

Ray Caesar's spooky paintings are a kind of Georgian steam-punk/ 1950s science fiction hybrid. Angelic, tattooed children are not really children at all but spider-like aliens with tentacles or pincer arms, or even robots. They exist in a Regency tableau, waiting...


Top to bottom: Home Coming; Merchant of Dreams; Monday's Child; Trouble With Insects; Castor; Pollux
http://www.raycaesar.com