Photo©IFAW

American actress Kristin Bauer van Straten plays a lethal vampire on television, but is even more deadly serious in her mission as an animal activist intent on saving elephants.

True Blood star Bauer, a celebrity ambassador for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org) arrived in Kenya last night on a mission to help save elephants from being killed for their tusks, and to raise awareness of the deadly ivory trade.

“I have a burning passion to stop the genocide of elephants, a loving, sentient species. I want to know there are, and will always be, elephants in the wild. That is why I have come to Kenya, with IFAW, to make a documentary that will send a powerful message that we need to stop the killing of elephants for their ivory,” says Bauer.

In 2011 more than 24 tons of illegal ivory was seized around the world, representing around 3,000 dead elephants. In Cameroon, in early 2012, about 650 elephants were killed for their ivory in a scant eight week period.

“I was so moved after meeting James Isiche, IFAW’s East Africa Director in Los Angeles last year that I said to my husband: ‘What the hell can I do about elephants and rhinos dying in Africa’.

“That’s when I began shamelessly working the magic words True Blood and to make it possible to come to Kenya to meet some real modern day superheroes who work to save elephants, and who need help,” said Kristin.

Bauer’s visit to make a documentary on elephants and the ivory trade, as well as the killing of rhinoceros for their horns, will include two of Kenya’s most famous national parks Amboseli and Tsavo East. IFAW support has been instrumental in reducing human-elephant conflict and saving the lives of elephants in both parks.

Kristin Bauer plays the character of Pam, in the HBO smash hit series True Blood which is currently airing its fifth season world wide.

She is accompanied to Kenya by husband, singer Abri van Straten and mother-in-law Cicely Luck van Straten, a Kenyan now resident in South Africa.

Bauer began her trip today with a visit to the IFAW supported David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a centre dedicated to the care of elephants orphaned due to the death of their mothers due to poaching or other causes.

Petitions

• China – stop the killing of elephants and rhinos across Africa! - by Ol Pejeta Conservancy
• Bloody Ivory Campaign Petition - Bloody Ivory Campaign @ Born Free Foundation
• Say NO to ivory – Join the Elephant March - by IFAW

Related articles

• NGO Intelligence Led to Ivory Bust in China (careforchineseanimals.net)
• Using Chinese star power to fight ivory poaching in Africa