Van Borne adopts Yambo the elephant
At Van den Borne, sustainability within our living and working environment is one of our top priorities. Our business premises were built in a climate-friendly way, our new building is also being built as sustainably as possible and we’re taking more measures to reduce our paper consumption. Another key part of our sustainability strategy is water consumption. Water is the main ingredient in all the products we supply, which is why we’re committed to sustainable water management.
Through the Wildlife Foundation, we recently adopted Yambo the African bush elephant to serve as a symbol of our sustainability. There is no other animal that symbolises our company and products as much as the elephant: the words ‘strength’ and ‘water’ are our common denominators. By adopting Yambo, we’re supporting Stichting Wildlife. This foundation works to protect endangered animal and plant species both in the Netherlands and abroad.
Yambo the elephant
Yambo came to Safaripark Beekse Bergen about two years ago. The average lifespan of an elephant is 50 to 60 years. This African bush elephant is a 19-year-old bull (male elephant) and he’s easy to recognise as he only has one tusk.
Before Yambo came to Beekse Bergen, he lived in Spain. It’s here that he became a father... and Yambo didn’t stop there! Currently, no fewer than three elephants at Beekse Bergen are pregnant by ‘our’ Yambo at the same time. In late 2023 and early 2024, they’re expecting to give birth to these tiny, special elephants.
A vulnerable animal species
The African elephant is on the red list published by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), signifying its vulnerable status. Elephant numbers are now on the rise again, but the African elephant remains an endangered species. The main reason for this is illegal hunting. The ivory tusks are the spoils. Nowadays, ivory is still very valuable.
Another factor that increases the threat to the African elephant is the growth of the local population, which is removing more and more elephant habitat. Elephants usually walk fixed routes, causing conflicts between the local population and the elephants.
Stichting Wildlife & the Elephants and Bees project
One of the projects supported by Stichting Wildlife is Elephants and Bees. Elephants and Bees protects African elephants living in the wild. The project innovatively deploys bee fences to protect crops from elephants. The reason why this works is that elephants are naturally afraid of bees due to the danger of being stung on their trunks. When an elephant walks into the wire fence, the beehives move and the bees start buzzing. That buzzing sound scares off the elephants and they choose a different route. This solution protects crops and avoids conflicts between the local population and elephants.
Elephants and Bees is just one of the many projects that Stichting Wildlife supports through the donations it receives. Want to find out more about the projects that Stichting Wildlife supports through donations?
