Monday 12th August 2024 marks international World Elephant Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the critical challenges faced by Asian and African elephants. 2021 celebrated the 10-year anniversary of this global occasion.
These magnificent creatures are under threat from poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and mistreatment in captivity. Despite the global admiration and respect for elephants, their survival hangs in the balance.
PG Paper proudly collaborates with Elephant Family, a UK-based wildlife conservation charity founded in 2003. This charity works with Asian elephants and local communities across the Indian Subcontinent to protect the species, now listed on the IUCN Red List because of their severe decline.
Travels to my Elephant: 2015 and 2017
PG Paper joint CEO’s and philanthropists Poonam Gupta OBE and Puneet Gupta OBE, took part in the “Travels to my Elephant” rickshaw race across India in 2015, and again in 2017.
Organised by the Elephant Family and the Quintessentially Foundation, the race raises awareness and money for the Asian Elephant’s plight and was ultimately inspired by the charity’s founder, the late great Mark Shand.
Entrepreneur Puneet Gupta OBE commented:
“Poonam and I were privileged to take part in the 2015 and 2017 races. As “The Tartan Trekkers” our journey saw our rickshaw valiantly fighting for road space with buses, cars, people and cows. It was an amazing, fun and challenging experience with such a central message around the importance of humans and elephants sharing space on our planet.”
Watch the “Travels to my Elephant” video:
The CoExistence Campaign
The theme of the CoExistence Campaign centered around the important message of coexistence between humans and elephants.
This campaign saw a herd of beautifully sculptured elephants begin their journey in The Mall from the Cotswold’s, before making their way through Chelsea, St James’s Park finally arriving in Berkeley Square, London.
Puneet Gupta was not only there; he also got to meet his very own elephant, Rickshaw:
“The project was a partnership between the Real Elephant Collective and the Elephant Family, a charity I have supported for many years. Poonam and I were delighted to meet our very own elephant sculpture, aptly named “Rickshaw” when we visited the environmental art installation. It’s incredibly important that we look at how humans and wildlife can successfully live and flourish side-by-side on our planet.”