Lupita Nyong’o is not only an Academy winning Kenyan actress; she is also WildAid’s Global Elephant Ambassador.
In 2015, she was back in Kenya and announced that she would advocate globally for the jumbo joining a host of other international icons including Jackie Chan, Yao Ming, Edward Norton, Prince Williams and David Beckham who were featured on the campaign
Elephants and their protection have been with Ms Nyongo since she was young. During her visit in the same year, a video during a press conference showed a young Lupita singing for the elephants.
Poaching has been outlawed in Kenya country since 1990 but an appetite for ivory in a number of countries in Asia saw the trade being bolstered. Save the Elephants, a partner of Wild Aid, reported that the price of raw ivory tusks has tripled in just four years.
Lupita has definitely used her stardom to draw attention to the illegal poaching and ivory trade problem.
“Elephants are one of our big five. We have their image on our money. I know this is something that is great source of pride for Kenya. This is global heritage, but it’s in our care” she said in an interview for the BBC.
“I have come to realize that when you know more, you do more” said Lupita. “I want to encourage people all over the world to learn more about these incredible animals. From reading a conservation website like WildAid.org to visiting one of the many unforgettable, world-class national parks.”
She was also very proud of her country when the Kenyan government undertook the largest ivory burn in 2016. She could not make it because of her role in the then upcoming Broadway production.
“This is a very important step we’re taking as a country to show our support for elephant conservation with this ivory burn,” she said.
