Did you know that years ago, St. Augustine’s reputation as a tourist attraction also included exotic animal exhibitions?
This March, residents will have the chance to connect that local heritage with a global conservation effort coming to Northeast Florida.
Wildlife SOS, a global wildlife conservation and welfare organization that provides specialized veterinary care to wildlife and works to reduce the human-wildlife conflict, will debut its 2026 Tour for Tusks. The speaking tour is designed to educate, inspire and mobilize audiences to help secure a safer future for India’s elephants by removing them from the streets of India.
Spearheaded by Wildlife SOS co-founders Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani, the Tour for Tusks’ Begging Elephant Campaign will spotlight the exploitation of neglected elephants used for begging, tourism and entertainment. The duo will also highlight Wildlife SOS initiatives, including the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre, while examining how veterinary care, community education and international support are improving elephant welfare.
Established in 1995 as a rescue sanctuary in New Delhi, Wildlife SOS offers vulnerable wildlife a second chance through rescue and rehabilitation. The organization also works to combat illegal wildlife trade, mitigate human-wildlife conflict and collaborates with government agencies and local communities to protect habitats.
“The Tour for Tusks reflects Wildlife SOS’s belief that education drives action and global engagement is key to protecting elephants,” the organization says on its website, adding that the organization cares for more than 30 rescued elephants in its conservation center.
“Elephants are intelligent, emotional beings who suffer immensely when forced into lives of captivity and constant labor,” Nikki Sharp, executive director of Wildlife SOS USA, said in a press release. “The Tour for Tusks is about putting faces, voices and real stories to a crisis that too often goes unseen. When people understand what elephants endure and how change is possible, they want to be part of the solution.”
The tour also includes a screening of the award-winning documentary “My Sweet Paro,” a poignant tale about the bond between Suzy, an older, blind female elephant at Wildlife SOS, and her devoted caregiver, Baburam.
“The crisis facing elephants is accelerating, and the window to intervene is narrowing,” Satyanarayan said in a news release. “This tour brings the realities of our rescue work directly to communities and gives people concrete ways to support solutions that are already saving the lives of India’s elephants.”
In addition to working with elephants, Wildlife SOS rescues and rehabilitates endangered bears, leopards, birds, reptiles and dozens of species unique to South Asia.
Attracting global attention, Wildlife SOS registered in the United States to encourage everyone to participate in wildlife conservation. Today, Wildlife SOS USA is the 501(c)3 organization’s American arm with five full-time staff members.
Tours for Tusks Florida venues
Registration for all three events can be made at eventbrite.com.
For more information, visit wildlifesos.org.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: ‘Tour for Tusks’ brings elephant conservation efforts to Florida
Reporting by Lucia Viti, St. Augustine Record / St. Augustine Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
