Living with Nature —Takita Asuka’s Journey
I’m Takita Asuka,/a veterinarian in Kenya. I have been working/to protect African wildlife,/especially elephants. In Africa,/over 20,000 elephants are killed/by illegal hunters every year. They want the elephants’ ivory. African elephants have been in danger of extinction/for many years.
To take care of animals,/my colleagues and I/often drive on rough roads/for more than 200 kilometers/a day. Sometimes/I even fly a light plane/to look for injured animals. I also work with rangers/to protect animals/from illegal hunters.
I have been living in a tent/in the savanna/for more than ten years. People often ask me,/“Aren’t you scared/to live near wild animals?” In fact,/I sometimes hear lions roar/near my tent at night,/but I’m used to it.
When I was little,/I really liked African animals. I always wanted to do something/for them.
In college,/I studied zoology/and had a chance to visit Kenya. There,/some people tried to protect wild animals/as important tourism resources. Others tried to eliminate them/because they attacked farm animals/or damaged crops. I learned/that the coexistence between wildlife and humans/was a complicated issue.
After graduating from college,/I wondered/what I could do for wild animals. I had tried several jobs/before I decided to become a veterinarian. Then,/I went back to Kenya/to study veterinary medicine. After five years,/I finally became a veterinarian/to directly save their lives.
In 2012,/about 10% of all the African elephants/were killed/just for their ivory. In order to focus on protecting elephants,/my friend and I/founded a non-profit organization,/Tears of the African Elephant.
The organization aims to promote the awareness/of ivory use in Japan. Japan had been importing a lot of ivory/until the late 1980s. Even today,/some people buy ivory products/casually. They might be supporting illegal hunting/without noticing it. The key to saving elephants/is to know the facts/about ivory.
I love seeing the endless horizon,/the blue sky,/and white clouds/in the savanna. Above all,/I love the energetic wild animals living there. Therefore,/I continue working hard/to preserve African elephants/and other wildlife/in this beautiful place.
I’m Takita Asuka,/a veterinarian in Kenya. I have been working/to protect African wildlife,/especially elephants. In Africa,/over 20,000 elephants are killed/by illegal hunters every year. They want the elephants’ ivory. African elephants have been in danger of extinction/for many years.
To take care of animals,/my colleagues and I/often drive on rough roads/for more than 200 kilometers/a day. Sometimes/I even fly a light plane/to look for injured animals. I also work with rangers/to protect animals/from illegal hunters.
I have been living in a tent/in the savanna/for more than ten years. People often ask me,/“Aren’t you scared/to live near wild animals?” In fact,/I sometimes hear lions roar/near my tent at night,/but I’m used to it.
When I was little,/I really liked African animals. I always wanted to do something/for them.
In college,/I studied zoology/and had a chance to visit Kenya. There,/some people tried to protect wild animals/as important tourism resources. Others tried to eliminate them/because they attacked farm animals/or damaged crops. I learned/that the coexistence between wildlife and humans/was a complicated issue.
After graduating from college,/I wondered/what I could do for wild animals. I had tried several jobs/before I decided to become a veterinarian. Then,/I went back to Kenya/to study veterinary medicine. After five years,/I finally became a veterinarian/to directly save their lives.
In 2012,/about 10% of all the African elephants/were killed/just for their ivory. In order to focus on protecting elephants,/my friend and I/founded a non-profit organization,/Tears of the African Elephant.
The organization aims to promote the awareness/of ivory use in Japan. Japan had been importing a lot of ivory/until the late 1980s. Even today,/some people buy ivory products/casually. They might be supporting illegal hunting/without noticing it. The key to saving elephants/is to know the facts/about ivory.
I love seeing the endless horizon,/the blue sky,/and white clouds/in the savanna. Above all,/I love the energetic wild animals living there. Therefore,/I continue working hard/to preserve African elephants/and other wildlife/in this beautiful place.