Liverpool played host to a global march raising awareness about the killing of elephants and rhinos.
More than 130 cities around the world held demonstrations protesting the poaching of elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horns. Cities from Paris to New York as well as Liverpool were among those supporting the cause.
Hundreds of people took part in the Merseyside march, which was held from St Luke’s Church to Derby Square on Saturday.
The organiser of the Liverpool march Hazel Jones, has firmly-rooted beliefs in the treatment of elephants. When offered the chance to help host a North West event, she eagerly put forward Liverpool as a host, taking six months over the planning.
The issue, according to Mrs Jones, is distinguishing between legally-found ivory collected from elephants that died of natural causes, and ivory collected from poached elephants. She explained that the material is so valuable, many buyers will not fully question its origin, putting the entire market in a grey area.
She told JMU Journalism: “We want to tell China that they need to shut down their ivory-carving factories and change to something like resin. We’ve got two choices: you walk away or you pick the baton up. I can say I tried.”
Chief speaker for Action4Elephants, Ray Knowles, said: “The main aim is to bring global recognition to the plight of the rhinos and elephants.”
Video report by Karen Coe, JMU Journalism TV