Elephants are Good Luck!
Did you know that elephants are considered to be good luck? In fact, elephants symbolize a lot of things: fertility, protection, good luck, wisdom and knowledge. Details are at this link. A lot of people, including my mom, keep statues of elephants displayed in their homes for these reasons. This is just one of the reasons that I think you should pick up the elephant topiary pictured below. Not only for yourself though, but it’s the perfect gift to the person that has everything, because all of the proceeds from it go to an important cause.
(raw shot of the elephant topiary)
The elephant topiary is created by Eliza Wierwight of Patron Homes in Second life. Eliza is on a mission and I believe we all can help her. Eliza recently watched the documentary, How I Became an Elephant and was so moved by it, that she decided to do something for the cause. The documentary is about abused Asian elephants and their extinction. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, you can check it out on youtube or just take a moment to read the synopsis.
Here are a few points I am stealing from the synopsis page that I wanted to highlight:
- “At the top of the 20th century Asia boasted well over 100,000 elephants. Today there are less than 5000 wild elephants in Burma and less than 500 in Thailand.”
- “The Asian elephant is in severe trouble in all range states. Problems facing the Asian elephant are deforestation, human encroachment, poaching and now tourism.”
- “An estimated 5000 elephants are currently being “worked” in legal and illegal logging in Burma (Myanmar). The work is grueling for elephants and their caregivers.”
Eliza contacted Save The Elephant Organisation because she felt so compelled to do something. They got back to her and she now has an official contract to act on behalf of SEF in Second Life. She has created the adorable Holiday Festive Topiary in the form of a baby Elephant (the design was pre-approved by SEF) and 100% proceeds from the sales of this topiary will be going to the foundation. The baby elephant topiary is just L$499 and even though I don’t have a home, I still felt compelled to buy it. I might gift it to a special friend with a home so it can be displayed there lovingly. It is transferable and a great way to gift and donate this holiday season.
For full details about what Eliza is working on, please click over to her flickr page, or her image below:
Location/SLurl to pick up an elephant topiary: Patron
Location/SLurl of first image of elephants: Winter Moon
It’s great that you can spread message out loud. 🙂 Got to get one.
\o/ SQUUUUUUUEEEAAAALLLL!!!! Thanks you Berry! <3
This is a great project and I am so happy to see Eliza’s passion for it! It doesn’t take much to be part of the solution!!! Thanks for sharing this and helping get the word out! (I do have mine!)
Miss Berry,
Can’t thank you enough for just stopping in the midst of such a busy time of year to support this quest in Second Life for Save the Elephant Foundation.
The support to date of the Community has been absolutely incredible. As I mentioned to you directly Inworld yesterday I am however concerned that it’s not far enough along to the projected goal of just under a million $L. Perhaps my proposal was too lofty. Seriously though, what would anyone in my place do. There ARE 35 elephants at Elephant Nature Park, “sorry we’re only sponsoring the first 10.” That just won’t do.
The Second Life Community has done brilliantly in raising the first L$200,000. Please don’t think for a moment that I’m not enthralled by this fact, I am. Heartened by every single L$ that made it’s way into that total. I’m just very aware of the date and the road ahead to the finale so to speak.
Perhaps interestingly, a month ago I would have thought buying an painting done by an Elephant was cool. I would have showed friends with pride. Such a travesty in that premise alone. So perhaps the largest learning curve in this plight has been my own. I allude to that fact in my letter to the Community here “dispelling romantic myths” phrase in An almost Elephants Tale by Eliza, noted in your link above (thank you kindly).
Awareness is so important. I’ve steered away from sharing graphic images of the abuse these magnificent and endangered species have endured. It still brings tears to my eyes to view. I want a positive focus here, we can really make a difference. These are not some obscure idea of elephants randomly floating in our cognition. These are actual elephants living and breathing now, name by name, history by history and after a life time of abuse and exploitation, previously unimagined torture and cruelty might just be having a nice mud bath in Chang Mai and good feed. We helped achieve this goal in some small way and really I see it as a more a privilege to be involved in a practical way than ever a burden.
Anyway I’ll stop rambling and direct my focus back to the myriad of things on the to achieve list for SEF today and thank you again.
Incredibly grateful for your assistance with this.
Eliza Wierwight
[waves to Cao and Emma whom have also contributed so sincerely]
Awesome coverage for a great cause!
Thank you, Berry. Your support is huge and will definitely help to get the word out.
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Thank you all for taking the time to comment. Eliza, I hear your efforts are paying off and things are going well. I hope you reach your goal! <3
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