AFRICAN ELEPHANTS UNDER THREAT

By: Jemimah Chungu

Elephants are one of the most treasured animals in the African wild. The two elephant species: the African forest elephant and the savanna elephant referred to as the African Giants are the two of the three species of the elephantine that exist on planet earth as well as the largest elephants compared to the third Asian elephant species. These two species are of vitality to African cultural hereditary ecosystems and the environment including the bio-physical environment, socio-economic environment and the political environment ultimately.

Unfortunately, African elephants are some of the most vulnerable species that are threatened by extinction. The present elephant population is estimated to be less than 500,000 globally with only about 415,000 of the African forest and the savanna elephants (the African giants) and merely 40,000 Asian elephant species left.

The cause for the threat and reduction of the elephant population is domestication, illegal hunting for the tasks, trunk and other parts, trophy hunting, natural disasters such as the earlier experienced epic tropical storm Ana and human induced threats.

A threat to elephant species has an aspect of a decline on the African cultural hereditary ecosystem. Some people eoples’ lifestyles across the continent, pride in the elephant-cultural significance with its symbolism of strength, Royalty, status and spirituality among others. The elephant tusks have also been important for the culture of making beads and other jewelry for centuries.

In the bio-physical environment, elephants are vital for biodiversity and the thriving wild ecosystem. African Elephant species participate in the renewal of forests and savanna ecosystems through fruit seed dissemination as theyb”plant” the food they eat.

They disseminate seeds through fecal matter after which trees and shrubs grow; such as the Amarula fruits that are native to Africa. They are important to the socio-economic environment by contributing the scenic beauty of the African wild and safaris, which greatly boost tourism.

Elephants are important, it is why they rank among top protected species globally . The rate at which species like the elephant are declining is yet another call to which humanity should rethink and revive the approach of accessing environmental goods and services because the decline of this specie is capable of affecting humanity and nature in just many ways.