Marking World Elephant Day 2026, renowned Kenyan conservationist Jim Justus Nyamu officially commenced the 20th edition of his “Ivory Belongs to Elephants” campaign with a successful launch at the Oakland Zoo in California. The event brought together conservationists, zoo officials, and international allies to sound the alarm for Africa’s rapidly declining elephant population.
Nyamu is the epitome of elephant conservation in human form. Over the past decade, he has walked over 22,000 miles across 11 African countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States, carrying a message that refuses to be silenced: ivory belongs to elephants, and elephants belong to the wild. His dedication is a real litmus test for whether someone prioritizes the needs of the voiceless, to contribute to a shared sense of order in a world where wildlife is too often treated as a commodity rather than a treasure.
Addressing fellow conservationists under this year’s global theme, “Bringing the world together to help elephants,” Nyamu highlighted the critical threats facing African elephants, including habitat loss, rampant poaching, and climate change. These pressures are causing elephant populations to decline across the continent, wilting like flowers left without water, as habitats shrink and resources become scarce. As a vital keystone species, elephants are foundational to their ecosystems. Nyamu emphasized that conserving elephants is essential to protecting all surrounding wildlife and their natural habitats. When you protect elephants and their extensive ranges, you safeguard entire landscapes and the biodiversity they support.
Following his address, Oakland Zoo Chief Executive Director Nik Dehejia, alongside board members, staff, and international conservation allies, officially flagged off Nyamu for his ambitious 150-day awareness campaign walk across the United States. The approximately 3,700-mile journey will traverse diverse eco-climatical regions, passing through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, before concluding in New York.
The primary objective of this historic walk is to mobilize global diplomatic and financial support for the 29 African Elephant Range States. These nations face shared crises in wildlife management, underscored by severe funding shortages for local wildlife agencies. Research has shown that site-level elephant population changes are strongly associated with funding levels, with an estimated US$1.5 billion annual funding deficit across all protected areas. This campaign serves as an urgent international appeal to protect the remaining elephants left on the African continent.
Nyamu’s work aligns with the KWS Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which prioritises collaboration and community involvement in conservation. By building partnerships across borders and engaging communities in elephant protection, KWS and its allies are demonstrating that conservation is both a national responsibility and a shared global commitment.
World Elephant Day 2026 serves as a powerful reminder that collaboration across borders, communities, and continents is essential to keep elephants roaming for generations to come.
To support KWS conservation efforts and protect Kenya’s elephant populations, please visit https://kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke/donate.