Generation Wonder - Animal Conservation

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Thanks for sending the Shains bracelet and endangered wildlife icons. It's gorgeous! I've been itching to buy something from here and this is ideal >> Read More

Generation Wonder Web Site > What Matters to Us > Animal Conservation > We value wildlife

At Generation Wonder we value our world and the people and wildlife that inhabit it. We will continue to source delightful products for the children that represent to them the marvel of our wildlife. These products will help them understand that we can all contribute to the welfare and survival of our wildlife through our admiration for them, and our support of conservation efforts.

At Generation Wonder we love elephants! Some of the proceeds from the sale of the elephant toys and the Generation Wonder e-shirt (elephant t-shirt) go to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, a place we have vsited often, and spent many happy hours.

Sri Lanka has had an ancient association with elephants, but today, numbers are dwindling dangerously low. From a population of well over 10, 000 elephants only 200 years ago, today there are only between 3,160 and 4,405 elephants estimated to be present in Sri Lanka (Kemf & Santiapillai, 2000).

Like humans, elephant society also revolves around caring for the young. Elephants have a relatively long childhood and rely on their elders to teach them the things they need to know to survive. However with human encroachment of man on their habitat, and poaching, more elephants are dying younger, leaving fewer elders to teach the young.

The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage has a rescue, rehabilitation, breeding and research focus. Visitors are welcome, in fact, needed, to help with funding and volunteer work for the centre. Pinnawela is home to more than 60 elephants, many of whom were brought there as young orphans. Over the years a successful breeding program has seen many successful births at Pinnawela.

Generation Wonder is proud to have the opportunity to contribute to the welfare of these magnificent animals.

We also love the philosophy behind our Belle and Dean range of organic clothing for babies. Not only are the clothes made from organic cotton (so good for the Eartth) they represent endangered or close to endangered animals in their designs. The Giraffe Grow currently in store represents the following story which Belle and Dean kindly allow us to reproduce from their website:

Scientific name: Giraffa camelopardalis
Endangered status: Lower risk
Habitat: Dry savanna and open open woodland habitats; subtropical and tropical dry lowland grassland.
Location: Africa
Characteristics: The Giraffe is the world's tallest mammal, with its front legs longer than its back legs. They live in groups of 15-20 individuals and feed on flowers and leaves (especially those of the acacia tree) which they can get to easily thanks to their long necks. Giraffes need only to drink occasionally and so are often found away from water sources.
Importance: The Giraffe is a herbivore and plays an important role in helping to keep the local ecology stable by dispersing plant seeds which they deposit in their fertile dung piles.
Threats: Although populations remain quite stable in some parts of Africa, their populations have fallen drastically in West Africa where they are poached for their skin and meat. Human induced habitat loss and degradation is an ongoing problem for giraffe populations.