Two years of #ElephantThursday
It was a Thursday afternoon in August 2014. I was scrolling through Instagram, watching people I follow use the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday to share photos of themselves or loved ones that were taken years ago. Interspersed between these throwback photos was one of an elephant. This photo triggered a proverbial light bulb in my head, which led to the decision to start using a hashtag called #ElephantThursday.
Why #ElephantThursday?
Seeing that photo of an elephant transported me to the future, one in which elephants were extinct. A few days before I would post my inaugural Elephant Thursday to Instagram, National Geographic published a story, “100,000 Elephants Killed by Poachers in Just Three Years, Landmark Analysis Finds.” The realization I had was a future that included social media posts using the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday to remember elephants when they were still alive.
From that day forward, I decided to post something on my social profiles every Thursday about elephants and the plight they face today.
Hashtags or catching lightning in a bottle?
What I’ve realized after two years of posting about #ElephantThursday is that it is extremely difficult to create a hashtag that trends. On a platform like Instagram, where 95 million pieces of content are created each day, Elephant Thursday never registered. Perhaps I should have taken the advice of Gary Vaynerchuk when he wrote, “Ride The Hashtag, Don’t Create It.”
Any victory is still a victory
While I hoped to create a trending hashtag, reaching the masses on Instagram and Twitter and co-opted by elephant conservation organizations, I still managed to create something that has made some impact.
In the two years since I began Elephant Thursday, I’ve reached the news feeds of my friends, family, and fellow elephants lovers alike, raising awareness to the plight of elephants and highlighting milestones in the fight to save their species. In return, people have shared articles with me and tagged me in stories and videos about elephants. I’ve even received wonderful elephant-themed gifts.
During these two years, Ringling Brothers has stopped employing elephants in their circus shows. China, the largest importer of illegal ivory has pledged to end the ivory trade in its country while the United States has enacted a near-total ban on ivory. Elephants have also become the newest celebrity cause.
The fight to save elephants continues
Despite great strides, elephants aren’t safe yet. Poaching is still a problem in Central and West Africa. In India, abused elephants in temples serve as entertainment in annual celebrations while the elephant tourism industry in Thailand continues to profit off of the same, horrific abuse. And China has yet to follow through on its pledge to ban ivory.
Important work is being done by organizations like the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, 96Elephants, WildAid, SaveTheElephants and The Great Elephant Census. I strongly encourage supporting these organizations monetarily or through amplifying their content on social media.
Never forget elephants
Elephants are kind, loving and incredibly intelligent animals. They are known for having great memories, which is the basis for the old adage that “elephants never forget.” What #ElephantThursday represents to me is an extension of that adage: Elephants never forget and neither should we.
