Elephants are among the most highly intelligent and socially complex animals alive in the world today. They are the largest and the heaviest living land mammals. Nevertheless, they are on the decline around the world. As has been the case throughout history, poaching and loss of habitat threaten to kill off many of the elephants in the world today. Fortunately, understanding how the elephant population has reacted to these threats in the past will help us determine how they might respond to current threats. Perhaps it is not too late to save these magnificent animals.
The Asian elephant, also known as “Elephas Maximus,” originated in Africa over 50 million years ago near the Al Fayyum swamps in present day Egypt. The African Elephant developed in Africa after the Asian elephants and pushed the Elephas Maximus into Europe from where it migrated into Asia. Actually, there are more than just two types of elephants. Recent genetic studies reveal that there are two species of the African elephant-the large savannah elephant of east and south Africa and the smaller forest elephant of west and central Africa. Thus, there are three species of elephant Elephas maximus or Asian elephant, loxodonta Africana or the African savannah elephant and the African forest elephant (loxodonta cyclotis). Although they look alike, there are huge genetic difference among them. They are genetically different more than the leopard, tiger, and lion of the cat family.
Elephants do have large appetites. An adult elephant can eat up to 200 kg of fodder per day! Elephants move in search of food from one forest to another as feeding in one forest will lead to the destruction of forest. After feeding in one area for a while, they migrate to another forest to leave the previous one to regenerate. Thus, elephants are nomadic animals. Elephants really do have an outstanding memory. The size of the brain of an adult elephant is 6 times the size of an adult human. Elephants are exceptionally good at remembering the past. An orphaned reared elephant released in the wild will still recognize their foster mother even after 20 years of rehabilitation.
Elephants are found mostly in Asian and African countries. In at least 13 countries of Asia and 37 countries in Africa you can find elephants, mainly in forests, grasslands, hill and even desert-like areas. There are about 50,000 elephants in the wild in Asia and at least 250,000 in Africa. The Asian elephants are more endangered than the African elephants because of poaching. These elephants are killed for their ivory and meat. A survey conducted shows that human beings kill more than 200 elephants a year in India which is an alarming rate for these species to become on the verge of extinction. The ivory is often used to make hankos in China as well as cylindrical seals in both Japan and China. Some ivory is also used in billiard balls, piano keys, netsukes, carvings etc. The killing of elephants for their meat is threatening elephants in the western Africa.
It is a shame that so many people in African and Asia kill elephants either for their meat or for their ivory. If they continue, the elephant population could become extinct. Where then while these poachers get their ivory? We should be good stewards of the animals on our planet. Most African countries have gone a long way towards protecting their native plants and animals by setting up large reserves. While illegal poaching is still a problem, it is not as big a problem as it is on the more densely populated Asian continent. If Asian countries could try to set aside even a little room for preserves, it might help to ensure that future generations can enjoy these magnificent animals.
