Our inaugural Trunks Up Los Angeles event was a great success! Thank you to everyone who came out on April 17th for the art opening, screening, and silent auction to benefit endangered and abused Asian elephants.
I was on a family vacation in Singapore when I received a message from Nikki Giacobazzi asking if I could photograph elephants in Thailand to help out the Save Elephant Foundation, led by the incredible Lek Challert. Those final photographs were donated and bid on to support Lek’s mission to care for and rescue captive elephants.
It was a special evening hosted by Moby, Nikki, and Lek as the audience embarked on a collective experience watching @loveandbananasmovie, a film about the devastation of animal tourism. Thank you to all of the attendees for lending their ears, eyes, and time to learn about the plight of Thailand’s elephants.
Printing was by the fabulous Bonny at Film Solutions. Thank you to Hahnemeule for donating the photo paper.
If you wish to donate or learn more, check out www.trunksuplosangeles.com!
THE MISSION
In Thailand alone, there are over 200 captive elephants in need of rescue from decades of abuse and suffering. The devastating exploitation includes tourist trekking camps, circus shows, and street begging. In addition to their rescue, land purchase is vital to giving these elephants the home and freedom these sensitive and majestic animals deserve.
SaveElephant.Org leaves no one behind! While improving the lives of captive elephants (plus many other animals), they also support efforts to conserve Southeast Asia’s rainforests, underserved schools, and provide local communities with a mobile veterinary clinic, offering free care to the animals.
Lek’s work has received international acclaim and has been documented by Discovery Channel, National Geographic, BBC, CBS, Animal Planet and CNN. She has been a Time Magazine Hero of Asia and was recognized as a Hero of Global Conservation by former President Barack Obama. As a world-renowned conservationist, she has addressed the UN General Assembly numerous times on behalf of her life’s mission.
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