The 2016 edition of World Wildlife Day will on 3 March 2016 highlight the challenges faced by African and Asian elephants under the theme ‘the future of wildlife is in our hands’.

Between 2010 and 2012, 100 000 elephants are estimated to have been poached for their ivory.

Planned global activities on the day include a high-level event to be held at UN Headquarters in New York, the release of data on the trend of illegal killing of elephant, the launch of a One UN Campaign against illegal wildlife trade and a meeting for all African range States hosted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“The actions each one of us takes, whoever we are, wherever we are, will determine the fate of wild animals and plants,” stressed CITES Secretary-General John E. Scanlon.

In line with the day’s theme, CITES has teamed up with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival to hold an awareness-raising film competition, with the winners to be announced in New York.

Film entries in one or more of seven categories may be submitted until 15 January, with those by finalists and winners to subsequently be showcased throughout the world.

For more information on the festival please click here and for more details on World Wildlife Day please write to yuan.liu@cites.org