It Makes Me Happy: Saving the Elephants Run/Walk
- Christine Caccipuoti
- 12 hours ago
- 5 min read
Hello Readers. To know me at all is to know how much I adore elephants, so it should serve as no surprise that I’ve chosen to return to blogging by talking to you about how happy the Saving the Elephants Run/Walk makes me.
There are few things in this world as magical as seeing elephants living their best wild lives. I had the opportunity to do so back in 2018, when I paid a visit to Kenya with a friend. I will never forget what it felt like to come upon a herd of wild elephants enjoying their time on the water’s edge, drinking and playing. We were quiet and careful not to disrupt them and, in return, the elephants paid us no mind, allowing us to enjoy our special window into their world. The memory is etched into my heart in a way few others are. The problem is, fewer and fewer elephants are getting the opportunity to do that due to issues like poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and human-caused habitat destruction. When you’re like me, and you don’t live anywhere near Africa (or Asia, though African elephants are the focus here) where elephants live, it can sometimes feel like an impossible feat to find a way to actually be of help.
Enter the Saving the Elephants Run/Walk, which is celebrating its 12th anniversary this year.
I first learned about the Saving the Elephants Run/Walk back in 2016, when I was beginning my adventures in elephant advocacy. It isn’t too often that there are opportunities in New York to help elephants half a world away. I was excited by the idea of doing something other than reading about the plight of elephants and worrying. The fact that I could actively fundraise for a cause, know exactly where the money is going, meet others who knew the importance of making sure elephants survive, and raise awareness by walking (I don’t run) around New York City really appealed to me.
And, as you can probably tell, dear readers, it became one of my most-anticipated events of the year.
Since that year of initial discovery, each November, I join hundreds of elephant lovers in Central Park to advocate for elephants. I have had the opportunity to watch the event grow, thanks to the stalwart stewardship of Laura Robertson. It now includes both 10k and 5k routes in Central Park, with an added virtual option that was particularly helpful during the COVID shutdown era, and has settled into a wonderful partnership with the Zambezi Elephant Fund (ZEF).
I love that Laura’s chosen ZEF because it isn’t one that gets a ton of press, but it does just as much amazing work as other elephant conversation organizations. With its focus on the region of the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe (a place I dream of visiting), ZEF has developed initiatives that actively work against poaching and to prevent the conflict between humans and elephants that lead to unnecessary death and destruction. Protecting elephants is a 24/7 job and requires immense funding to accomplish its objectives. Think about it. Some of the things that need to be done include: training and employing rangers to remove snares, patrol on foot and by air, and prevent poachers from succeeding in killing elephants; building fences that keep elephants out of human’s land without hurting either animal or person; and working with collaborators to keep the Zambezi Valley a thriving habitat for elephants to live in.
If fundraising and spending a beautiful autumn afternoon surrounded by other elephant lovers can increase both ZEF’s ability to continue operations and a general alertness to what elephants need, why wouldn’t I do it? And who wouldn’t love it?
Elephants are a keystone species. This means that their existence is essential to the maintenance of the ecosystem. Their movements, what they eat and how their bodies dispose of it, and the marks they leave on the landscape all help the natural world thrive. They are brilliant, having deep herd relationships including means of communication that we are only just beginning to understand. They are kind and gentle unless provoked and capable of being, somehow, simultaneously elegant and playful. Still, despite all of this, they cannot advocate for themselves, nor are they always able to defend themselves against the likes of snares and guns.
The Saving the Elephants Run/Walk helps us help ZEF get their work on the ground done so that elephants can stick around for a very long time.
The event itself is a joyous one. In recent years I’ve shown up in my ZEF “I Run for Elephants” hoodie, but many others will wear full elephant costumes or the wonderful shirts and hats we’ve received as participation swag over the year. The weather is more often than not wonderfully crisp as the park’s trees are brilliant shades of green, red, and orange. Runners and walkers gather together at the bandshell a breath away from the Bethesda Fountain to hear Laura and ZEF representatives talk about how much money has been raised so far and what that means ZEF will be able to accomplish because of it. The sense of solidarity is high, people are excited, and a feeling of hope (so often absent in the world these days) is palpable.
Despite being a walker, and not a particularly speedy one, I have never felt like that mattered. My friend Jill and I are married to the 10k, even with the newer 5k option, and we don’t care where we finish. The event isn’t about that. It’s about the act of being there, of knowing you’ve helped elephant conservation work continue for another year, and being surrounded by others who care, too.
One year, there was a particularly memorable moment when ZEF brought ornaments, in the shape of elephants, made from snare wire recovered by their rangers. It was a poignant reminder of how brutal people can be to elephants and how supporting organizations like ZEF can help prevent those monsters from being successful. A group of walkers (or runners) that helps acquire generous donations from others can truly make a difference. I keep my snare ornament in a place where I can always see it, because I never want to remember why we do what we do that day.
It makes me happy, very happy…and I like to think that the elephants who make the Zambezi Valley their primary home really appreciate it.
This year, the Saving the Elephants Run/Walk is taking place on November 8th. That means there is plenty of time to still register as participant. It also means that you can donate and help fundraisers like me reach our goals. If neither of these are things you can do, you can still help, just spread the word. Let others know about this event. I can promise you one thing, helping animals that can’t make it without us will make you feel happy, too.
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