Danai Gurira, star of The Walking Dead and Black Panther, is joining forces with local groups to put an end to the horrors of poaching in Zimbabwe.
Danai Gurira is using her celebrity to raise awareness about poaching in Zimbabwe, using the theme that “poaching steals from us all.” Gurira has joined forces with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and Wild Aid to put an end to the horrors of poaching and its impact on rhinos and elephants in Zimbabwe and beyond.
ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo was pleased to join with Gurira on this endeavor, as Gurira was raised in Zimbabwe and her celebrity status makes her an ideal ambassador for the campaign: “Danai is one of our own who has done well for herself on the international platform. We partnered [with] her for this campaign to assist us to attract goodwill as a country. She’s an international brand whom we’re confident can assist us to attract more people from America – one of our biggest markets.”
Danai has been posting pictures with elephants and rhinos on her social media channels, hitting the ground running to highlight the problem and share information about how to bring it to an end.
Made a new friend. His name is Mark. Mark is an orphaned bull elephant who got a second chance thanks to Zimbabwe’s #conservation efforts. Together with @WildAid, we can protect these beautiful creatures for future generations to enjoy. #FeelsGoodToBeHome #PoachingStealsFromUsAll pic.twitter.com/6T4qblX0GP
— Danai Gurira (@DanaiGurira) December 19, 2018
For as long as I can remember #poaching has threatened #elephants #rhinos existence. It’s deeply important to me that future generations get to enjoy the majestic creatures we’ve been entrusted to protect. RT to spread the word that #PoachingStealsFromUsAll @ZtaUpdates @WildAid pic.twitter.com/Jy49Vjg8zQ
— Danai Gurira (@DanaiGurira) December 18, 2018
Illegal poaching has been decimating wildlife populations for years as the demand for ivory from elephants and rhinos has risen, especially in Asian markets. It’s a problem in the United States, too, as ivory dealers have imported items through the black market for clients. In the state of California it’s illegal to sell ivory products, which is a good start to what will hopefully become a larger federal matter to prevent ivory from being imported to the US.
In addition to stopping ivory sales, people can help support wildlife with eco-friendly tourism, which supports the parks and preserves that seek to protect these majestic creatures.
It’s great to see Danai Gurira bringing attention to this major problem, and the hope is that she will bring awareness to a larger audience thanks to her work on The Walking Dead and Black Panther.