African Elephants

Why they are a vulnerable species: Threats. Despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers. Their ivory tusks are the most sought after, but their meat and skin are also traded. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year for their tusks. Where African elephants live and what they eat: Africa elephants live throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the rain forests of central and West Africa. African elephants eat roots, grasses, fruit, and bark, and they eat a lot of these things. An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food in a single day. The African elephants threats: Residential & commercial development: Housing & urban areas Commercial & industrial areas Agriculture & aquaculture: Annual & perennial non-timber crops Wood & pulp plantations Livestock farming & ranching Transportation & service corridors: Roads & railroads Biological resource use: Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals Logging & wood harvesting Human intrusions & disturbance: Recreational activities War, civil unrest & military exercises Natural system modifications: Fire & fire suppression Dams & water management/use Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases: Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases Climate change & severe weather: Droughts What can we do to protect African elephants: DO NOT buy ivory or sell it, or wear it. New ivory is strictly banned, but antique ivory can be legally available for purchase. Coffee and timber crops are often grown in plantations that destroy elephant habitats. Make sure to buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber and certified fair trade coffee. Adopt an elephant! Who wouldn’t want to take home a cute elephant, protect it from the bad guys, and raise it as their own? OK, so that’s not quite realistic, but there are any number of organizations that offer elephant adoptions so that you get cute pictures of "your" elephant, and they get currency to fund their elephant conservation efforts. World Wildlife Foundation, World Animal Foundation, Born Free and Defenders of Wildlife all have adoption programs and are good places to start looking for that special pachyderm. References

Sources : http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/elephants/african_elephants/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/african-elephant/ https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12392/3339343