The Elephant in the Room: Why Elephant Conservation is Critical
Elephants are some of the most gorgeous mammals on Earth – if not the largest! They have inspired the cultures that surround them, and are icons of African and Asian landscapes.
And, unfortunately, their numbers are dwindling.
The Great Elephant Census, the largest wildlife census in the world, has reported a 30% decrease in the African Elephant’s global population during the last few decades. The news is no better for their Asian Elephant cousins; there used to be a global population of about 100,000 at the beginning of the century. Now, there are only 35,000 – 40,000 estimated to be living in the wild.
These numbers warrant concern, not just for elephant lovers but for our environment and our planet. Here’s why:
Elephants Transport Seeds
Elephants, particularly the African Elephant species, are the largest herbivores in the world. Once they’ve had their fill of vegetation for the day, the elephants disperse the digested plant material elsewhere in the form of dung – spreading the seeds leftover from their meal. This seed dispersal system allows opportunities for the consumed plants to colonize in new locations, which can create new food sources and habitats for other creatures!
Elephants Dig Watering Holes
When there is a shortage of water, elephants use their trunks, feet, and tusks to burrow holes deep enough to access underground water sources. Not only does this benefit the elephant herd, but it also creates water sources for other animals in the ecosystem! Just another way that elephants naturally support their habitats.
Elephants Promote Biodiversity
Elephants play an integral role in maintaining the biodiversity of the habitats they live in. And not just because of their seed-rich dung! Elephants create clearings in forests and clusters of vegetation by eating and trampling down the plants. The gaps that they create allow more sunlight to reach the low-lying plants on the forest floor, giving them a better chance for growth.
Elephants also maintain the landscape in the savannah by breaking up thorny bushes and pulling down overgrown trees. Their supercharged landscaping helps to keep the savannah an open plain, which supports other species that thrive in the savannah’s environment.
Elephants Increase Security
Perhaps the most poignant yet unknown benefit that elephant conservation provides is security for the communities that share the same landscape. Wildlife traffickers and poachers pose a threat to both elephants and humans, causing violence and threatening the safety of all species involved.
In response to this growing crisis, the organization Conservation International has aided the development of ranger patrols in the Northern Rangelands Trust of Kenya. Rangers in the Northern Rangelands and surrounding areas are cross-trained and credentialed as police reservists. This additional certification means that they can respond to crimes in the area that are both wildlife and non-wildlife related, increasing the security for local villages.
Conservation International’s CEO, Dr. M. Sanjayan, maintains that the work of the rangers is quickly gaining favor with the villagers they protect since there is an added sense of safety. Dr. Sanjayan stated in an interview, “I once asked a woman, ‘What has conservation brought to you?’ And she said to me, ‘Conservation allows me to sleep with my shoes off at night.’ What she meant was that, because there is security in the region now, she doesn’t have to put on her shoes to flee when raiders come in.”
How amazing is that? Thanks to elephant conservation efforts, women and children can sleep in peace, knowing that their homes will not be invaded!
Elephant conservation aims to preserve the population of these beautiful creatures, but it’s also about protecting the beauty of the world as we know it.