US Legislators Also Support Pachyderms

The NC Zoo is in the company of the US House and Senate, as the latter two appear poised to provide five more years of aid to African and Asian elephants, and rhinos, as well as tigers (which are not pachyderms...not thick-skinned).

Conservation of African elephants and southern white rhinos is at the core of Project:Pachyderms, the NC Zoo Society's recently successful campaign to help the Zoo increase its elephant and rhino herds to social, breeding groups. (Zoo and Society also support the work of chief NC Zoo veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis on behalf of elephants in Cameroon.)

"African elephants, especially in West, Central and East Africa, are under intense pressure from poachers of ivory for sale on the international black market. The trade in illegal wildlife products is close behind the trade in illegal drugs and illegal weapons." (The EarthTimes article goes on to report that farmers in Africa are now often growing chili peppers to keep elephants out of their other crops; Dr. Loomis' work has made good use of Cameroonian elephants' "fear" of chili pepper to keep negative elephant/human interactions down.)