In the fall of 2012, Gabriel Pons was commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund to design a t-shirt for the WWF's "Hands Off My Parts" campaign. He collaborated with WWF to generate an original t-shirt graphic that would raise awareness regarding wildlife crime throughout the world and motivate change by mobilizing the public to take action through handsoffmyparts.org.
From the WWF Website:
"Every day, wild elephants, rhinos and tigers are killed for their skins, bones, tusks, horns and other body parts. Wildlife crime is now the most urgent threat to these species—and decades of conservation gains and whole wildlife populations will be lost if we don’t take action today.
Tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year for their ivory tusks.
At least one rhino is killed every day due to the mistaken belief that rhino horn can cure cancer and hangovers.
As few as 3,200 wild tigers remain. Poaching is the greatest immediate threat to their survival.
The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth $7-10 billion annually. Illicit wildlife trafficking is the fifth largest illegal trade after drugs, counterfeiting, human trafficking and oil.
Join 'Hands Off My Parts' to stop wildlife crime along with supporters like Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily VanCamp, Josh Bowman, Stacy Keibler, Alyssa Milano, Ian Somerhalder and Ethan Suplee. Together we can fight for strong laws so that poaching stops and rhinos, elephants and tigers can keep their parts."
Below are images of the 'Hands Off My Parts' t-shirt package. Gabriel created a full-size painting and additional hand-drawn lettering and line work for the final composite screen-printed graphic. The WWF team did a great job designing the informational brochure and hangtags. PONSHOP is honored and proud to be a part of this timely and pertinent initiative. Take Action Now to join the "Hands Off My Parts" campaign and stop wildlife crime.
Coincidentally, during the time Gabe was working on the project, National Geographic Magazine published an investigative report, "Blood Ivory" in October of 2012. As a result of the 'Hands Off My Parts' initiative, in early March, Thailand prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra pledged to end the ivory trade in Thailand during the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).