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6th March 2018

CELEBRATED AMERICAN MUSICIAN PHARRELL WILLIAMS VISITS WILDLIFE SOS ELEPHANT CENTER IN INDIA TO UNDERSTAND THE PLIGHT OF ELEPHANTS

Multiple Grammy Award winning musician and celebrated record producer - Pharrell Williams visited the Wildlife SOS run Elephant Conservation & Care Centre, located near the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh for a conservation education tour to meet the rescued elephants and help promote elephant conservation in India.

He interacted with the Wildlife SOS team of elephant care staff and veterinarians to understand the threats that Asian elephants face in India while extending his support to elephant protection & conservation in India.

Pharrell William’s album “Happy” was the most downloaded music in the UK.

The American singer-songwriter who was in India to unveil a new ‘Holi-inspired’ Adidas apparel collection, came from the Taj Mahal to the Elephant Conservation & Care Center run by Wildlife SOS in Mathura. His visit follows on the heels of another VIP elephant lover, none other than Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada who spent some quality time with the rescued pachyderms at Wildlife SOS.

Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder of Wildlife SOS welcomed the renowned musician at the Elephant Center along with Dr Ilayaraja - Dy Director Veterinary Division. Pharrell interacted with the Wildlife SOS team to learn about the history of Wildlife SOS and the background and personalities of the various elephants. This was followed by an interactive session with the elephant veterinarians and elephant caretakers who shared insight about the organization’s elephant protection efforts. Rescued from illegal captivity and circuses where they were ill-treated and subjected to decades in cruelty, these gentle giants are now living a life of freedom under the care and treatment of expert veterinarians.

Talking about his experience with the elephants, Pharrell Williams said, “Congratulations Wildlife SOS and good luck for the universal wok that you do here and the affect you have on anyone who sees this!”

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder & CEO of Wildlife SOS said, “It’s encouraging to see a distinguished figure like Pharrell Williams coming to Wildlife SOS to learn about our efforts to protect elephants in India.  Our goal at Wildlife SOS is to engage with the public about conservation education while also providing rescued elephants a second chance at life. The Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center is a collaboration with the U. P. Forest Department and functions as a conservation education platform. The model Center uses scientific, Modern and Humane elephant management methods based on positive reinforcement that can be replicated and emulated across India to ensure protection to elephants.”

Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder Wildlife SOS said, “This visit by Pharrell Williams to the ECCC brings global attention to the plight of elephants in India.  He was visibly moved by the story of the rescued elephants and what they had endured before they were rescued by Wildlife SOS. We hope for his continued support for the cause.”

Wildlife SOS runs the world’s Largest Sloth Bear rescue center in Agra and an Elephant rescue center in Mathura. The charity’s Elephant Conservation and Care Center (ECCC) was established in 2010 in Mathura and provides critical medical treatment and lifetime care to 24 rescued elephants. Many of these elephants have spent their entire lives abused in captivity after being stolen from the wild as babies. The ECCC has specialised medical facilities for elephants like an elephant ambulance, a hydrotherapy pool, digital x-ray, ultrasound, laser therapy etc. that help these broken elephants recuperate and heal.

Item Special Note

Photo of Sanjay signed by Pharrell during his visit

Measures approx 12 x 18 inches