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Articles on Elephants

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The world’s biggest burn of illegal ivory. Daniel Stiles

Ivory up in flames, but who really noticed? How messages on elephant poaching might be missed

The destruction of a massive haul of illegal ivory was supposed to send a message to poachers and those who trade in the tusks. Did they notice, or can the ivory be used to help elephant conservation?
The Southern Tanzania Elephant Program used camera traps to capture elephant visits to farmland. STEP/Author supplied

What camera traps tell us about elephants eating crops

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.
Elephants express many extra genes derived from the critical tumour suppressor gene TP53. Stephen Tan/Flickr

What elephants teach us about cancer prevention

Elephants naturally avoid cancer after 55 million years of evolution. Scientists are studying if they can extract lessons that could help people.
An artist’s impression of an ancient, 100% African sea cow. CreaPhi

How we learned that sea cows are more African than lions

Sea cows (Sirenia) descended from four legged mammals that roamed Africa when this continent was isolated. They belong to the Afrotheria, the ‘African beasts’.
Could this be the world’s largest Fitbit? Supplied

Why it’s so important to understand how elephants sleep

By understanding sleep across animals we can gain insights into improving the quality of human sleep. It can also help to bolster conservation management strategies for the animals in question.
Elephant feet have peculiar structures that can also be seen in other large-bodied animals. Supplied

Why elephants kept in captivity suffer from sore feet

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.
The fate of elephants ultimately lies in the hands of humans and a continued ban will not solve the poaching problem. Shutterstock

The ban on ivory sales has been an abject failure. A rethink is needed

The ivory trade is a very contentious issue and will be debated at CITES. It will revolve around maintaining or lifting the ban on trade. But the human element is likely to be ignored.
CITES has become the premier multilateral arrangement to tackle illegal wildlife trafficking. Ross Harvey

Explainer: what is CITES and why should we care?

The focus of CITES is not solely on the protection of species. It also promotes controlled trade that is not detrimental to the sustainability of wild species.

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