Forest elephants are endangered in Nigeria. Habitat protection, community awareness campaigns, research and stronger regulations could save them from going extinct.
Elephants approaching a waterhole in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Rudi van Aarde
The biggest large mammal population study to date has found that savannah elephant numbers in southern Africa have remained stable for the past 25 years.
African forest elephant in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of the Congo.
Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Africa’s famous animal migrations are increasingly blocked by fences, erected by farmers to keep their livestock safe from disease. But a new approach aims to deliver healthy beef and healthy wildlife.
The Southern Tanzania Elephant Program used camera traps to capture elephant visits to farmland.
STEP/Author supplied
Elephants feeding on crops poses a challenge to their coexistence with humans. Farmers must introduce strategies to reduce losses and avoid lethal action against the endangered species.
Elephant feet have peculiar structures that can also be seen in other large-bodied animals.
Supplied
Foot problems are more rife in elephants living in captivity. The hard ground they walk on often gives them foot trouble. Generally, by the time the problem is picked up, it’s too late.
Attempts at regulating the market show any ivory trade represents a threat to the survival of African elephants.
REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
Historical evidence shows African elephants are endangered by the ivory trade, despite any attempt at regulating the market. A total ban is the only hope for the world’s largest living land animal.