African Elephant Research Paper

Words: 1740
Pages: 7

The largest animal that roams the South African plains is the African Elephant or Loxodonta africana. The African Elephant is the largest land animal that can weigh up to 13,200 lbs and can range from 8 feet 4 inches all the way up to 11 feet in height. Females are typically smaller than their male counter parts (safari 3424). They are herbivories and due to the unique nature of their trunks they are able eat a variety of foods, such as grasses from the ground and leaves from high in the trees (safari 3425). By eating from both the ground and trees, the elephants are able to strive even when there is food shortage, such as a drought that limits the amount of grass. Elephants can also use their tusks to help them survive in many ways, including …show more content…
Simple solutions start by looking at the way the laws are written and see if anti-poaching laws can be strengthened or put into effect and creating regulations for deforestation. Conservationists can also raise money to buy land and convert that land into protected lands for wildlife. Bouché suggests in his study that creating paths between protected areas so that the elephants are free to move about the land (). By creating pathways, elephants may thrive in their new environments more as elephants are social creatures. Females prefer to live in large herds and if a herd in one land is not very large, the elephants would have the freedom to travel to another area and see if another herd would allow them to join. Bouché also mentions that these paths could be a way for elephants to steer clear of danger from human conflicts (). The continent Africa is an unstable continent that is full of conflict and warzones especially in Central Africa. By creating paths between major protected lands, the elephants would be able to travel out of warzones and into safety when these conflicts break out. Another simple way for conservationists to make a difference is by raising awareness of the decline of the