Elephant Poaching: Spreading the Word

I watched a show recently on Animal Planet about elephant poaching in Africa.  I have always known it was out of control, but what I saw and heard was more than I could handle.  The picture became even more clear, that it was too shocking to believe.  However, it was on television...I mean it was literally on the television.  I am sure they cut most out, but they did show some stuff that would not necessarily be shown; unless to get a point across.  Well, they succeeded.  They showed carcasses of elephants that poachers attacked.  This particular elephant they showed was brutally mutilated for the tusks.  The African said that the poachers see a herd of elephants, and shoot blindly into the group.  They do not actually aim.  I mean, it is bad enough to aim at a defenseless animal in general (or hurt one in any way), but to purposely fire randomly into a whole group, knowing that they are not going to catch every single one is horrible.  Again, yes, it is horrible to shoot one, or even think of shooting or harming another being (animal or human).  It is scary that humans feel they are so above everything else that they have the right to take whatever they want.  In the process, humans are taking away the privileges we have on this Earth: LIFE.  Life is no longer valued.  Life is no longer treasured.  It is viewed as a disposal.  With this kind of thinking, Humans are the weaker species.  There are multiple animal and plant species on the endangered list because humans have put them on it.  Humans continue to kill even though they know the consequences.  In the episode I watched, the African man said that humans have killed about 4.5 Million (yes that is correct) elephants have been killed in the past 60 years.  The show made an important point: It is not the poachers alone, it is the customers too (the ones who purchase ivory).  I refuse to buy any ivory.  I refuse to buy anything that threatens an animal to extinction.  (I say this last part because I will continue to eat turkey, chicken, cows, etc).  I collect (or used to until I got too much to keep track of) elephant figurines, pictures, statues etc.  HOWEVER, none of them contain any ivory, or harmed any animal.  In fact, a few of them took a portion (or full proceeds) to help elephants.  I do not know what else I can do, except what Yao Ming was trying to do with his show on Animal Planet Saving Africa's Giants (2014):  Spread the word.  I love elephants and always have.  I want them (and all other animals) to be around for our children and their children.

Note:  Animal Planet does has a place on its website to sign to pledge not to buy ivory.  www.animalplanet.com