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Being a famous footballer comes with a variety of lovely perks, not the least of which is fame and the ability to use that fame to draw attention to causes near and dear to your heart. Using one's fame for good rather than evil is always a fine choice, and Liverpool's own Kolo Touré recently chose to do just that to highlight the plight of several endangered African animals.
As part of a larger campaign that includes participation by the World Wildlife Fund UK and the Born Free Foundation, the Touré brothers along with Vincent Kompany and Victor Wanyama have lent their voices to an initiative to stop the illegal ivory trade that has significantly reduced rhino and elephant populations in Africa. The northern white rhino is critically endangered, while African elephant populations are currently vulnerable but could be elevated to endangered due to the increased poaching.
It's certainly a worthy cause to which to lend his name, as it's hard to not go along with whatever Kolo Touré says, especially when there are elephants involved. Without taking anything away from the very serious nature of the problems posed by poaching, though, we find ourselves wondering: what other animals could benefit from an affiliation with a Liverpool player? Here are some obvious and not so obvious options:
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Jordan Henderson: Honey Badger
Status: not endangered -
Joe Allen: Red Panda
Status: vulnerable -
Steven Gerrard: Wolverine
Status: not endangered -
Martin Skrtel: Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle
Status: critically endangered -
Luis Alberto: Scimitar Oryx
Status: extinct in the wild
Baby elephant thanks you for your time and your refusal to buy products made with ivory.
