ANIMAL activists marched through the streets of Eumundi on Saturday (24 September) to demand an end to the slaughter of elephants and rhinos – and this year they called for the ban of 1080 poison.
Protest organiser Marie-Louise Sarjeant said the global event was a huge success, with over 100 people joining the Eumundi march.
Queensland’s only Global March for Elephants and Rhinos started at the Eumundi Market Pavillion before heading down the main street, joining with over 145 cities worldwide taking part in the event to protest the killing of elephants and rhinos.
“(They are) dying at such a rapid rate, they estimate they’ll be extinct in a decade,” Ms Sarjeant said.
“This year was a very important Global March, with a huge march in Johannesburg outside CITES – the world’s biggest conference on international wildlife trade, demanding the elephants and rhinos are put on Appendix 1 to stop the ivory and rhino horn trade.”
Ms Sarjeant said the world “must wake up” as elephant and rhino populations plummet.
Elephant Dawn author Sharon Pincott spoke at the Eumundi march about the need to stop the ivory trade and about her book which describes the shocking grief elephants feel at losing family.
“The message is simple; going, going, gone. All the elephants, rhinos, lions,” Mr Sarjeant said.
This year Simba the dingo joined the march to protest the use of 1080 poison and slaughter of dingoes and walked Eumundi along with Wildlife HQ CEO Jarrod Schenk who said dingoes were often wrongfully persecuted, given a bad reputation they didn’t deserve.
Mr Schenk said wild dogs interbreeding with dingoes were the real problem.
