African+Elephant

== = =
 * African Elephant **

=FACTS= 1. African Savana "Bush" Elephant (Loxodonta africana) 2. African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) || Thick gray or brownish-gray skin scattered with bristles & sensory hairs Fan-like ears measuring up to almost 5 feet Tusks grow throughout the lifetime of each animal //Males: Weigh between 11,000 - 13,200 lbs.// Grow almost 10 ft. tall Females: Weigh between 6,600 - 7,700 lbs. //Grow over 8 ft. tall// ||
 * ==Two Subspecies==
 * ==Largest land animals on earth== ||
 * ==Physical Description==
 * ==African elephants are a //keystone species// == ||

**Place of Origin ** =African Savana "bush" elephants are historically found in regions all over sub-Saharan Africa, and African forest elephants are found specifically in Central African dense tropical forests. Today, most African elephants are restricted to forest, bush, and savanna parks and preserves because of their endangerment.=



**AFRICAN ELEPHANT'S CONSERVATION STATUS**

__International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species__
===__Conservation status by risk of extinction__ === **Extinct** Extinct > Extinct in the Wild **Threatened** Critically Endangered > Endangered > Vulnerable **At lower risk - Conservation Dependent** Near Threatened > Least Concern



**Lifestyle **
 * Can consume almost 500 lbs of fruit, grass, shoots, tree budes, bark, vegetables, and leaves per day
 * Require 30-50 gallons of water per day
 * Uses trunk to smell, eat, communicate, manipulate objects, bathe, and drink
 * Have two finger-like projections on the end of their trunk
 * Live in migratory herds of eight to fifteen related elephants led by one dominant female
 * Have sophisticated sense of smell and acute hearing
 * Can use infrasound for long-distance communication
 * Live between 60-70 years on average
 * Calves are born every four to nine years and remain depended on their mothers until eight or ten years old
 * Cows and calves spend their entire lives together
 * Bulls leave their herds at puberty, which is between 12-14 years old

**Endangerment **
 * Population in the 1980s was around 1 million **
 * 70,000 African Elephants killed per year **
 * Population is now less than 470,000 **

African elephants are threatened by poaching and habitat loss. Also many calves are left orphaned after their mothers are killed by poacher, leaving young elephants susceptable to being hunted by lions and other predators, poachers, or helpless with no means to provide for themselves.

In trade, African elephant tusks have been used in jewelry, piano keys, hanko (the personalized signature seals required on official documents in Japan) and other items. Their hides and other parts are a minor component of trade; their meat is used by local people, and they are highly prized among big game hunters. As well, illegal trade of ivory can be disguised in the legal market. Today, legal trade occurs only with Japan, although there are many initiatives that are against the use of ivory, whether legal or illegal. **Deforestation - Habitat Loss - Human-elephant Conflict - POACHING ** media type="youtube" key="fYGAer6gB_g" height="408" width="546" align="center"

**Conservation ** An ivory ban was implemented in 1989 and with management and anti-poaching measures, populations in some countries rose. Some countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia, had been able to manage their elephant populations at parks and orphanages. The various governments in Africa have done a lot to protect these native elephants, however poaching still happens. Widespread conservation efforts through organizations like World Wildlife Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare, US Fish and Wildlife Services, as well as movements like "For the Love of Elephants" started by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust have made many initiatives towards furthering protecting the animals, taking up orphaned calves, releasing elephants back into the wild, and holding poachers accountable through the justice system.

Sources <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">Africa Point <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">International Fund for Animal Welfare <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">WWF <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">Images - The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">Last Image - Caroline Evans <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">Youtube - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service