By Fran Duthie, President of Elephanatics
For years, I have fought for elephants from behind a desk in the West. My work remains fuelled by a quiet, burning outrage sparked by the 2010 poaching crisis—a barbaric slaughter that claimed the lives of over 100,000 elephants in just three years. While others might have seen it as just another headline, I found it a trigger to take action on a serious crisis.
That turning point forced me to discover the defining purposes of my life: my devotion to my family and my need to be a true stakeholder in the protection of our natural world. I could no longer justify standing on the sidelines while an ancient, sentient species was being erased for the sake of a luxury trade. I knew that something had to be done—and that realization became the creation of Elephanatics.
For nearly a decade, I poured that passion into classrooms, delivering presentations and building the foundations of Elephanatics. But in June 2019, the statistics and reports became secondary. I traveled to Kenya to visit our African elephant specialist, Dr. Jake Wall, while he was working at the Mara Elephant Project. It was there that he introduced me to Fred and Kegol—two magnificent bulls who moved with a grace that defied their size. In those moments, standing in their presence, my life changed instantly. I was no longer just defending a cause; I was finally meeting the giants I have been fighting for from afar.
I will never forget the moment when my world took an unexpected turn. We were out on safari when I laughed at a small, humorous display from one of the elephant herd members—a naive reaction from someone still learning the etiquette of the wild. The response was instantaneous. A matriarch turned, her massive ears flared in a full charge, and she lunged at our jeep. She stopped just three feet from me, and in that heart-stopping suspension of time, our eyes met. She sensed I was not a threat and she retracted. It wasn’t a lesson from a textbook; it was a raw, primal command to listen. She taught me that true advocacy isn’t just about data—it’s about the immediate, undeniable language of the wild.
That encounter solidified my mission. My passion transformed into a clear purpose: to bridge the gap between global awareness and local action. At Elephanatics, we believe the most vital connection we can build for wildlife is through education. We focus on providing teachers with the tools and curriculum-aligned lesson plans they need to educate students on the complex biology and vital ecosystem roles of these sentient beings, as well as advocate for them through national and international campaigns.
This commitment to education extends directly to the communities sharing the landscape with these animals. Through the Fran Duthie African Elephant Scholarship, administered by the Mara Elephant Project, financial support is offered to Kenyan students pursuing degrees in conservation and wildlife management. We believe that by empowering local voices with the education they need to lead, we are securing a sustainable future for both people and elephants.
Whether we are advocating for legislative change or developing resources for the next generation, we are working to ensure these giants have a future. As Francesca Marciano once wrote, “When you leave Africa, as the plane lifts, you feel that more than leaving a continent you’re leaving a state of mind. Whatever awaits you at the other end of your journey will be of a different order of existence.”
My journey to the Mara has helped guide my purpose and commitment to continue to make a difference in the lives of elephants and humans. It opened my eyes to life on the ground in the savannah and the living creatures who make it their home. I will be forever grateful to that matriarch—steadfast in her conviction to show who’s boss—who made me take notice by teaching me to truly pay attention to the voice of nature.
Explore our resources and join our mission:
- The Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship🎓
- Ivory Free Canada Campaign: Historic Ban Enacted 🛡️
- Niche Educational Resources & Lesson Plans📖
About the Author: Fran Duthie is the President and Co-founder of Elephanatics, an organization dedicated to securing a future for African elephants through global education and advocacy. Her journey began in 2010, fuelled by the devastating toll of the poaching crisis. Building on years of experience delivering classroom presentations, she now transforms that commitment into action by providing educators with vetted, authentic resources and empowering the next generation of Kenyan conservationists through her personal scholarship.
Fran Duthie – President
ELEPHANATICS FOUNDATION