Om episode
You may not have heard of WildAid but you probably have seen or heard of their work. In the battle against wildlife trafficking and poaching, while many other organizations focus on the supply side of the issue - stopping the trafficking and poaching itself - WildAid focuses on the demand end - making consumption of wildlife products taboo and educating the public on what they are really buying and consuming. WildAid's now infamous slogan When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too, rings throughout their work. It’s a powerful message worth repeating. They work with major celebrity ambassadors to help spread this message. While they operate all over the world, a large part of their work happens in China, where they are working hard to educate the public on the harmful nature of wildlife products. Their work has made a huge difference. From videos with Yao Ming standing against Shark Fin Soup to Jackie Chan standing up for Pangolins, they are truly changing habits. In just 2 years since launching the pangolin campaign, a large sample of respondents in China showed that 70% thought pangolin scales had a medicinal quality, down to just 28.5% two years later. Joining us today to talk about this work are Christina Vallianos, Wildlife Program Director, Asia at WildAid and Steve Blake, Former Chief Representative for China at WildAid. About WildAid WildAid is a non-profit organization with a mission to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes. While most wildlife conservation groups focus on protecting animals from poaching, WildAid primarily works to reduce global consumption of wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and shark fin soup. With an unrivaled portfolio of celebrity ambassadors and a global network of media partners, WildAid leverages more than $218 million in annual pro-bono media support with a simple message: When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too. More information on WildAid can be found at www.wildaid.org or follow us on Twitter @wildaid