Scientific name: Loxodonta africana

Swahili name[1]: Tembo; Ndovu

IUCN Status: Vulnerable

 

Threats and impacts:

Between 1960 and 1990, elephant populations in East Africa suffered a huge decline, as 85 to 98 percent of elephants were killed for their ivory. Despite these decimations, Tanzania and Kenya maintain a significant elephant presence. Today, there are an estimated 25,000 elephants in Kenya, though poaching continues to threaten this number. [2]

 

The decline came from a variety of causes, mainly habitat loss and illegal hunting for both meat and ivory. These threats vary in intensity across the continent. [3] Due to their wide ranging habitats, most human disturbances (agriculture, development, war/conflict, etc.) will affect elephants and can cause negative human-elephant interactions. Climate change and drought have severe consequences for elephants.

 

Conservation:

The species is the largest terrestrial animal and has been the subject of considerable research, but continent-wide distribution and density estimates are difficult to obtain for any one time period.

 

The Amboseli Trust for Elephants aims to ensure the long-term conservation and welfare of Africa’s elephants in the context of human needs and pressures through scientific research, training, community outreach, public awareness and advocacy. [4]

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Interesting information: 

Elephant calves and juveniles are quite playful, even with other species, but become very aggressive when older. Indeed, elephants are one of the only species of herbivores that purposely kill other species. They do this by stepping on small mammals that have startled them or by goring humans or livestock. [5]

Elephants have a pouch at the base of their tongue that can store 1.2 gallons (4.5 l) of water.

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[1] http://mpalalive.org/field_guide/african_elephant

[2] http://mpalalive.org/field_guide/african_elephant

[3] Blanc, J. 2008. Loxodonta africana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T12392A3339343. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T12392A3339343.en. Downloaded on 10 August 2019.

[4] https://www.elephanttrust.org/

[5] http://mpalalive.org/field_guide/african_elephant

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Photo credit: C.Wing Yiu