Africa's Eden, A Small Paradise Torn Apart

    PENSACOLA, FL, February 24, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With a thunderous roar, a new hope builds over the horizon, with a desire to do better for the forest elephants suffering through the massive illegal poaching industry in Gabon, Africa's only Eden. This epidemic, often slid under the rug, has risen in massive proportions. Staying silent is no longer an option.

When we first started writing Thunder: An Elephant's Journey our goal was to write a story that educated the world on the cruelty these beautiful creatures endure on a daily basis as victims of the poaching industry. Thunder, an African pygmy elephant, was created to be an ambassador to bring our message close to home. His story resonates deeply reminding us that all life is precious and fleeting. If we continue to stay voiceless, these animals may become extinct and the world will no longer know their beauty.

John Poulsen, Assistant Professor of Tropical Ecology at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, has conducted research on the poaching epidemic in Gabon. "With nearly half of Central Africa's estimated 100,000 forest elephants thought to live in Gabon, the loss of 25,000 elephants from this key sanctuary is a considerable setback for the preservation of the species." It is even more clear in our time that the forest elephants of Gabon and areas surrounding Gabon have suffered great devastation in numbers.

Sometimes we live in a quiet bubble where we assume that our efforts to provide a safe place for elephants to recoup their numbers is enough, but that is built of complacency. According to the research of Poulsen and his colleagues, "a 78-81% loss of elephants in a single decade from one of the largest, most remote protected areas in Central Africa is a startling warning that no place is safe from poaching." That's right. Protected! These animals are being slaughtered in land set aside for their safety. If we approach saving a species of animals like we do using a slow cooker, where you set it and forget it, the forest elephants of Gabon will completely disappear. We simply cannot allow this to happen.

The authors of Thunder: An Elephant's Journey continue to educate themselves on the dangers elephants face. Their welfare is at the heart of our trilogy. The trilogy follows the journey of Thunder throughout his lifetime. Providing education through an entertaining cast of characters helps us integrate a real-world problem into a child's everyday reading. Our hope is that this series will continue to inspire our children to be aware of the threat to the welfare of this magnificent species. With each generation, we have the ability to do better. It starts right now, with us, with our kids.

Thunder: An Elephant's Journey, a mid-grade chapter book, is the first book in the trilogy. It tells the story of a young elephant who is ripped from the only world he knows when poachers invade their quiet sanctuary. His journey invokes a thoughtful cognizance of Thunder's world and the challenges he faces. The lessons woven into his story reinforce the importance of preserving and protecting the elephants impacted by the illegal ivory trade.

Thunder II: An Elephant's Journey, Footprints in the Sand continues Thunder's story as he and his friends learn to deal with deep personal loss. This story helps us understand the deep emotions of animals dealing with the chaos of the world around them.

Thunder III: An Elephant's Journey, Hope Haven is the final book in the series. Thunder and his friends return to find new adventures in a world that is actively trying to show that we can make a difference in the lives of the forest elephants of Gabon. It starts with taking a stand and providing more than just a safe place for them to thrive, but actually following through with the enforcement of these sanctions.

Authors Erik Daniel Shein, L.M. Reker & Melissa Davis believe that starting now, with the stories we share with our kids, we can make an incredible difference. As members of the Arkwatch Foundation, some of the proceeds from sales will go to the Arkwatch Foundation whose mission is to prevent the depletion of rare animal and plant species. The Arkwatch Foundation: arkwatchfoundation.org.

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