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.//