Co-founders Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani will highlight the leading wildlife conservation group’s elephant welfare initiatives and screen the award-winning film ‘My Sweet Paro’
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wildlife SOS, a global wildlife conservation and welfare organization dedicated to providing specialized veterinary care and reducing human-wildlife conflict, today announced the launch of its 2026 Tour for Tusks, a speaking tour in Florida designed to educate, inspire and mobilize audiences to help secure a safer future for India’s elephants.
Led by Wildlife SOS co-founders Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani, the second annual Tour for Tusks will put a spotlight on the exploitation of elephants used for begging, tourism and entertainment. The pair will highlight Wildlife SOS initiatives, including the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre and the Begging Elephant Campaign, while examining how veterinary care, community education and international support are improving elephant welfare.
“Elephants are intelligent, emotional beings who suffer immensely when forced into lives of captivity and constant labor,” said Nikki Sharp, executive director of Wildlife SOS USA. “The Tour for Tusks is about putting faces, voices and real stories to a crisis that too often goes unseen. When people understand what elephants endure and how change is possible, they want to be part of the solution.”
Each stop on the tour will feature an exclusive in-person screening of the award-winning film “My Sweet Paro,” a poignant documentary that captures the deep, enduring bond between Suzy, an older blind female elephant at Wildlife SOS, and her devoted caregiver, Baburam. Audiences will also have the opportunity to engage directly with the founders in a meet-and-greet following the presentation and film.
This year the tour will take place throughout Florida and includes stops in:
- Jacksonville, Florida: March 7, at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Register here to attend.
- St. Petersburg, Florida: March 13, at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art. Register here to attend.
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida: March 15, at Savor Cinema. Register here to attend.
The team will also make an exclusive appearance in The Villages that is not open to the public.
“The crisis facing elephants is accelerating, and the window to intervene is narrowing,” Satyanarayan said. “This tour brings the realities of our rescue work directly to communities and gives people concrete ways to support solutions that are already saving the lives of India’s elephants.”
The Tour for Tusks reflects Wildlife SOS’s belief that education drives action and global engagement is key to protecting elephants. Funds raised support elephant rescue, emergency veterinary care and lifelong rehabilitation for survivors of abuse. The organization currently cares for more than 30 rescued elephants at its conservation center.
In addition to its work with elephants, Wildlife SOS also rescues and rehabilitates endangered bears, leopards, birds, reptiles and dozens of species unique to South Asia, furthering its mission to create a sustainable landscape for wildlife in India.
For more information about Wildlife SOS, visit wildlifesos.org or watch their videos at youtube.com/WildlifeSOS.
To donate directly to the organization, visit give.wildlifesos.org.
About Wildlife SOS
For more than 30 years, Wildlife SOS has given India’s most vulnerable wildlife a second chance through rescue and rehabilitation. Established in 1995, the organization has worked to combat illegal wildlife trade, mitigate human-wildlife conflict and actively collaborate with government agencies and local communities to protect habitats and promote sustainable livelihoods.
Wildlife SOS is also leading the national movement to end the exploitation of elephants in captivity through its “Begging” Elephant Campaign, which aims to save all neglected and abused begging elephants from the streets of India by 2030, getting them into sanctuary for expert medical care and lasting quality of life. For more information, visit wildlifesos.org.
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SOURCE Wildlife SOS
