How A Major Guitar Company Is Leading The Battle Against Elephant Poaching

<p>Getty</p>
<p>Getty</p>

Just days after one of the world's largest and most famous elephants, a 50-year-old bull named Satao, was poached for his tusks, people around the world are honoring his memory by trying to save other elephants from the same fate.

Martin Guitar, a leading manufacturer for steel-string guitars, has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to launch a campaign to increase resources to save African elephants from poaching -- a deadly practice that kills about 55 elephants each day.

Ironically, Martin Guitar once used ivory as parts of its instruments but the company stopped because of the atrocity of poaching in the late 1960s. Chris Martin, the company's CEO, explains:

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Now, Martin and his company are going a step further with this new campaign. They will be auctioning off guitars autographed by musicians like Dierks Bentley, Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers, Colbie Caillet and Neko Case to raise funds, and employing other musicians as "Elephant Ambassadors" to spread the word.

They're also calling for donations on their IndieGoGo page to help fund The Nature Conservancy's African Elephant Initiative -- donors of which will be entered to win a custom guitar engraved with Satao's name.

You can also contribute to spreading awareness on social media by using the hashtag #SaveElephants.