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Episode 122: Awed by African Elephants

This week we revisit the African Elephant. Angie shares her recent experiences at Kruger National Park in South Africa and how they manage their African Elephant Population. While we do not rehash much of our Episode 2 on elephants we do cover the main points.

Elephants are the largest land mammal currently in existence. There are two main species of African elephant:

  • African elephant (Loxodonta Africana)
  • Forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotodis)

History

Both species of elephant can trace their lineage back approximately 7 million years ago when they branched out from the mammoth to the two species we know today. Another ancient elephant-like species, the American mastodon, branched off the elephant family tree over 26 million years ago.

African elephants once roamed the entire African continent and number over 27 million. Today, the African elephant is isolated in small pockets in Central and Southern Africa and number less than 410,000.

Current Range of African Elephants

 

 

 

 

Facts

There are many physical differences between African and Asian elephants (see infographic). The Forest elephant is a tad smaller than the larger African Savannah elephant.

Elephants are incredibly intelligent creatures. They have a wide range of emotions and their intellect is comparable to dolphins and primates other than humans. They have been documented in grieving for their dead, to showing joy, love, anger and other complex behaviors. Typically, elephants are found in a matriarchal society, or those dominated by females. Mature males typically are isolated or live in small bachelor groups and only venture into a family group during the breeding season.

Male elephants enter a periodic condition called musth. During this period, secretions are running down along the sides of the elephant’s head, out of their temporal glands, and is a time when the bull elephant is highly aggressive. The causes of musth are currently not known, and everyone should take extra cautious around an elephant in musth.

Male African Elephant in musth

A large male elephant can eat up to 150 lb (70 kg) of food per day. Both species are herbivores and eat a variety of plants, branches, leaves, and even tree bark. Tusks are used to help dig up roots are strip trees of their foliage. The elephant’s trunk has over 60,000 muscles and is used to help eat, drink, communicate, bathe, amongst other uses. Elephants are crucial for local ecosystems and have been known to spread seeds father than most any other animal.

Elephant Conservation

Asian elephants are classified as endangered with a decreasing population. African elephants are listed as vulnerable and on their way to endangered status. Both species are under threat mainly from human encroachment. African elephants are under severe threat due to poaching and now almost  27,000 elephants are killed a year for their ivory tusks.

Poaching Statistics

What can you do?

Great read about Mr. Lawrence Anthony, the Elephant Whisperer mentioned at the end of the podcast  here.

Black Ivory Coffee (if you dare)

 

 

 

November 12, 2019
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