African Elephant in the Mud
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
#Photography #missouri #kansascityMO #elephant #AfricanElephant #mud #BlackAndWhite #blackandwhitephoto #blackandwhitephotography
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African elephant Pupy arrives in Brazilian sanctuary after 30 years in Buenos Aires zoo http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TKH7bt #AfricanElephant #AnimalRescue #WildlifeSanctuary #PupyTheElephant #Conservation
Nigeria Risks Losing All Its African Forest Elephants – Here’s How To Protect Them
The numbers and ranges of forest #elephants in #Nigeria have declined greatly over time. The main cause of this has been human activity, like logging, palm oil and cocoa #agriculture, which threaten their survival by reducing their natural habitat. Some elephant populations have been lost. Others exist only in small, fragmented areas. A new study looks at what can be done to protect one of Nigeria’s most treasured #animal icons, the African forest elephant.
Numbers of African #Forest #Elephants 🐘🐘🐘 in #Nigeria have declined massively due to #palmoil #cocoa and #timber #deforestation, #poaching and farmers killing them for crop invasion. 😮😰Here’s how we protect them! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8SD
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWritten by Rosemary Iriowen Egonmwan, Professor of Environmental Physiology of Animals, University of Lagos and Bola Oboh, Professor of Genetics, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, University of Lagos. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The numbers and ranges of elephants in Nigeria have declined greatly over time. The main cause of this has been human activity, like logging, palm oil and cocoa agriculture, which threaten their survival by reducing their natural habitat. Some elephant populations have been lost. Others exist only in small, fragmented areas.
Nigeria is one of 37 African countries where elephants are found in the wild. Savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) can be found in the north and forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in the south.
It’s not clear how many elephants there are in Nigeria. Eighteen years ago, the African Elephant Study Report estimated that there were just 94 elephants left in the country. In 2021, it was estimated that there could be about 400 elephants in areas not systematically surveyed.
What we do know, however, is that the numbers and ranges of elephants in Nigeria have declined greatly over time. The main cause of this has been human activity, like logging and agriculture, which threaten their survival by reducing their natural habitat. Some elephant populations have been lost. Others exist only in small, fragmented areas.
African Forest Elephant surveys had not been carried out in southern Nigeria for over a decade, and sightings of forest elephants are rare. Forest elephants are of particular interest because they’re classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
We carried out a study to establish their presence and determine the factors affecting their conservation.
We visited four protected areas in two national parks and one forest reserve in southern Nigeria. We did find small populations, totalling 40 forest elephants. This is not a viable population in the long run as it has been suggested that “viable” elephant populations may range from 400 to 6,000 individuals.
Their survival is being threatened for six reasons, in particular the impact of people’s activities.
Presence and distribution of elephants
We visited Okomu National Park; Omo Forest Reserve; and the Okwango and Oban Divisions of the Cross River National Park.
Forest Elephants were caught on camera traps in the Omo Forest Reserve and Okomu National Park. They were sighted in the Okomu National Park and the Oban Division of the Cross River National Park. In the Omo Forest reserve, we found the charred bones of a poached elephant.
https://youtu.be/s584AP-BYm0?si=9HGXpoZVyYb7wAeV
Of the 40 identified using micro-satellite markers, seven were in Omo Forest Reserve, 14 from Okomu National Park, 11 from Oban Divison and eight from Okwango Division.
The future of these forest elephants looks precarious for a number of reasons.
The threats
Firstly, our study found evidence that pressure from human activity and changes in land use were influencing elephant distribution in the study locations. These were also contributing to habitat fragmentation and forest degradation.
We found that land within and around the protected areas we studied had been converted to settlements. It is also used for farming and monoculture plantations, where elephant food is limited. This has resulted in habitat loss and forest fragmentation, restricting the ranges of the elephant populations.
Second, the presence of hunters’ sheds, spent cartridges, traps and hook snares showed that illegal hunting persisted in all the study locations. We found the carcass of an elephant during the study. Hunting, as a threat to biodiversity conservation, has already been proven in studies of Kainji National Park, Okomu National Park and the Cross River National Park. Arrests don’t always deter offenders because the punitive measures aren’t heavy enough.
Thirdly, human-elephant conflict is pervasive. Elephants raided crops and destroyed property in and around the study locations. Most farmers in the surrounding communities lacked alternative sources of livelihood. Even small losses were of economic importance and led to negative attitudes towards conservation.
In the Okomu National Park – which lacks a buffer zone – we detected elephant activity outside the protected areas.
Fourthly, the distribution of the elephants in small groups means that they face a high risk of local extinction. The populations in the Omo Forest Reserve and the Okomu National Park are completely isolated. The protected areas are surrounded by farmlands and human settlements and the elephants don’t intermingle with other populations.
Fifth is the issue of forest degradation and shrinking of forest space. The Omo Forest Reserve is a Strict Nature Reserve – meaning it’s not open to tourism – and is one of Nigeria’s four biosphere reserves. But most of the forest is degraded and has reduced in size.
The final threat to elephants is that farmers were not paid compensation for crop losses arising from elephant raids in the study locations. This contributed to a negative attitude towards conservation. The Federal Government of Nigeria has no policy provision for compensation to farmers. The Aichi Biodiversity Targets encourage incentives as a means of safeguarding biodiversity.
Improving the conservation of elephants
Ecologically, elephants are a keystone species which have a massive impact on the ecosystem. Their loss would have an impact on the environment. Economically, they are drivers of tourism, and culturally they are icons of the African continent.
Here’s how we protect them
Awareness programmes, livelihood opportunities and compensation should be introduced to farmers. Together with acoustic deterrents and other mitigation methods used around the world, they could check losses due to crop raids.
Community conservation education and awareness programmes work. They should be rolled out to help change negative attitudes and get people to cooperate in conservation efforts.
In our study we observed that elephants avoided harming cocoa farms. In cases where elephants passed through them, the cocoa was not eaten. This behaviour was also reported at the Bossematié Forest Reserve, Côte d’Ivoire. This observation needs to be investigated to test whether cultivation of these crops could mitigate conflict between people and elephants.
Finally, a species management and monitoring plan should be put in place to help conserve Nigeria’s forest elephant populations. A nationwide survey, to assess the population of elephants in all ranges in Nigeria, should be top priority.
Written by Rosemary Iriowen Egonmwan, Professor of Environmental Physiology of Animals, University of Lagos and Bola Oboh, Professor of Genetics, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, University of Lagos. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGBorneo Forest Dragon Gonocephalus bornensis
Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus
Sunda Clouded Leopard Neofelis diardi
Glaucous Macaw Anodorhynchus glaucus
Attenborough’s Long-Beaked Echidna Zaglossus attenboroughi
Nancy Ma’s Night Monkey Aotus nancymaae
Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#AfricanElephant #AfricanForestElephantLoxodontaCyclotis #Agriculture #animal #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #climateChange #cocoa #deforestation #elephant #elephants #Forest #Nigeria #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #timber #WestAfrica
Addo Personality
https://kiko.io/photos/24-12-Suedafrika-3206-D70
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A gentle giant in the golden light,
Wrinkled skin and tusks so white.
Nature's wisdom in its eyes,
A majestic soul beneath African skies.
#AfricanElephant #Photography #EndangeredSpecies #Conservation #Nikon #fractionsoflifeframedforever #elephpant #photooftheday #picoftheday
Wrinkled skin and tusks so white.
Nature's wisdom in its eyes,
A majestic soul beneath African skies.
#AfricanElephant #Photography #EndangeredSpecies #Conservation #Nikon #fractionsoflifeframedforever #elephpant #photooftheday #picoftheday
Large herbivores such as elephants contribute to tree diversity
A recent study using satellite data has highlighted the critical role that large herbivores play in promoting tree diversity in forest ecosystems. The research showed that areas with abundant large herbivores like elephants had more varied tree cover and more tree diversity. This finding underscores the importance of large herbivores in many ecosystems and that they should have primary importance in conservation strategies, particularly in the context of global efforts to combat climate change and extinction. Help big herbivores every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!
Recent #research finds that lots of large #herbivores like #elephants 🦏🐘help plant #biodiversity in rainforests! Help big plant eaters and #plants to survive! 🐘🩶#Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🧐🪔⛔️ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterSoulful #elephants 🐘💗 are not only intelligent, they add more tree cover and #tree diversity, finds this landmark #study. All #elephant species are threatened by #palmoil #deforestation and #poaching for ivory. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🔥⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterCover image credit: A Sumatran elephant enjoys a playful river dip, by Craig Jones Wildlife Photography
Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.
Maintaining species-rich and resilient ecosystems is key to preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Here, megafauna — the part of the animal population in an area that is made up of the largest animals — plays an important role. In a new study published in the scientific journal One Earth, an international research team, of which Lund University is a part, has investigated the intricate interplay between the number of voracious herbivores like elephants and the diversity of trees in the world’s protected areas.
“Our findings reveal a fascinating and complex story of how large herbivorous animals shape the world’s natural landscapes. The tree cover in these areas is sparser, but the diversity of the tree cover is much higher than in areas without large herbivores,” says Lanhui Wang, a researcher in physical geography and ecosystem science at Lund University.
“In our global analysis, we find a substantial association between the biomass of large herbivores and varied tree cover in protected areas, notably for browsers and mixed-feeders such as elephants, bison and moose and in non-extreme climates,” explains the study’s senior author, Jens-Christian Svenning, professor at Aarhus University.
Hereby, the study supports that large wild herbivores promote a diverse vegetation structure, creating a rich habitat for many other species. This is due to the animals’ consumption of vegetation as well as physical disturbances.
According to Lanhui Wang, these new research findings highlight the need to integrate large herbivores into restoration and conservation strategies. Not only for the sake of the animals themselves but also for the vital role they play in shaping landscapes and influencing biodiversity. The researchers argue that this aspect is not sufficiently considered within the framework of sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration.
“At a time when global initiatives are intensely focused on combating climate change and biodiversity loss, our findings highlight the need for a broader and more nuanced discussion about ecosystem management and conservation measures. It is of utmost importance to integrate understanding of the ecological impact of megafauna into this,” says Lanhui Wang.
The UN has declared the 2020s as the decade of ecosystem restoration. In total, 115 countries have agreed to restore up to 100,000 square kilometres of nature in total. To achieve this, more wild-living large herbivores are needed worldwide, says Lanhui Wang.
“I believe that we will need to protect and conserve large herbivores to achieve the UN goals. Megafauna are crucial for tree cover, which in turn promotes carbon sequestration and a diversity of habitats,” says Lanhui Wang.
Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your supportShare this:
#AfricanElephant #Bantrophyhunting #biodiversity #BorneanPygmyElephantElephasMaximusBorneensis #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #ecology #elephant #elephants #EndangeredSpecies #herbivores #Pachyderm #pachyderms #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #plants #poaching #research #study #SumatranElephantElephasMaximusSumatranus #tree #WorldElephantDay
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Join the San people's push to protect their homeland and the habitat of 1 in 3 surviving African elephants. Here's how: https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/okavango_loc/?twitter
#petition #avaaz #africanelephant #elephants
Elephants Come in All Sizes. See more here: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/elephants-come-in-all-sizes-joan-carroll.html
#elephants #chobe #drinking #trunk #nationalpark #botswana #africa #africanelephant #african #wildlifephotography #wildlife #animals #Travel #travelphotography #giftideas #AYearForArt #BuyIntoArt @joancarroll
Elephant Having a Drink Botswana. See more here: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/elephant-having-a-drink-botswana-joan-carroll.html
#elephant #chobe #drinking #trunk #nationalpark #botswana #africa #africanelephant #african #wildlifephotography #wildlife #animals #Travel #travelphotography #giftideas #AYearForArt #BuyIntoArt @joancarroll
Elephants Trunk Wrestling! https://fineartamerica.com/featured/elephants-trunk-wrestling-joan-carroll.html See more here: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/elephants-trunk-wrestling-joan-carroll.html
#elephant #chobe #nationalpark #botswana #africa #africanelephant #african #wildlifephotography #wildlife #animals #Travel #travelphotography #giftideas @joancarroll #AYearForArt #BuyIntoArt
If only humans could act like wild animals to sort themselves out. Two African Savannah Elephant size each other up without spilling any blood.
#Elephant #AfricanElephant #SavannahElepant #wildlife #nature #Africa #Uganda
A female, vulnerable African elephant (Loxodonta africana) at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
© Joel Sartore 2023
joelsartore.com/gallery/the-photo-ark/4/
My Artwork
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"Flower Girl"
A Giant Tusker with Flowers.
42x30 cm | 16.5x11.7 inches.
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20% of all my sales go towards saving Elephants🐘
www.shaelsart.com
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Listen to your Mummy… | Masai Mara | Kenya
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Cute little Rocker | Tarangire | Tanzania
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#tanzanie #saveelephants #wildlifephotography #bownaankamal #tarangirenationalpark #wildanimals #africanprint #safarilife #africanelephant #naturelovers #wildanimal #wildlife #thebigfive #elephantlovers #tarangire #exclusive_wildlife #natgeo #bekindtoelephants #nikon #natureseekers #wildlife_perfection #animalphotography #tanzaniasafari #natgeowild #wildlifeportrait #animals #wildlifeowners #wildnout
Baby elephants stay very close to their mothers for the first couple of months. The calves drink their mother's milk for about two years, sometimes longer. They drink up to 3 gallons of milk a day!
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🐘 Masai Mara | Kenya
Photo by @bownaan.kamal
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#wildnout #masaimaranationalpark #majestic_wildlife_ #wildlife #wildliveplanet #africa #wildglobe #wildlife_inspired #animals #live_love_wildlife #africanelephant #africanwildlife #allnatureshots #bestwildlifephotography
How will you define this texture 🐘…? | African Bush Elephant | Ngorongoro | Tanzania
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#big5 #wildlife_seekers #ngorongorocrater #afryka #bownaankamal #saveanimals #loveelephants #wildanimals #elephants #animalelite #africanelephant #elephant #africanwildlifephotography #africa #africanamazing #wildlife_perfection #safariphotography #safari #safarilife #wildlifeportrait #nature_lovers #animalphotos #featured_wildlife #savetheelephants #elephantlover #elephantlovers
Elephants are intelligent, family-oriented and very strong. However, elephant eyesight is not the best, thogh they are the largest mammal on the land. The average size of an elephant's eye is 1.5" inch diameter with their eyes on the side rather in front. Elephant eyes are only slightly larger than a human's eye, which is on average 1" inch in diameter.
🐘 Masai Mara | Kenya
#africa #bownaankamal #wildlifephotography #masaimara #safari #wildlifeconservation #africanelephant
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