Elephants-Keystone Species for Survival

I came across the below article by Lauren Shuttleworth of the Project Elephant and it is an excellent summary why we need to fight for the survival of the elephant, a keystone species.  Please read below how important the elephants are as ecosystems engineers:

 " In the African savannah, elephants push over and strip trees, making way for a plethora of grass species. The grass feeds the grazing herbivores such as zebra, antelope and buffalo, which in turn feed the carnivores, such as lions and leopards. Asian elephants and African Forest elephants are hugely important for seed dispersal, as they eat the fruit of various pant species and ‘deposit’ it across vast distances."

However the threats to their survival are numerous from habitat loss to poaching for ivory.

The excellent article below shows that the consequences of extinction of the elephants are wide ranging and impact our own survival.

Thank you to all of my readers for your interest and for helping making the planet a better world for all.

Til next time, 

Meggi

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Why Saving the Elephants Could Save the World

 by Lauren Shuttleworth;  Project Elephant

If the current rates of population decline continue, 

elephants will be lost from the wild within 12 years. 

A world without elephants is not one we want to live on!

I should probably begin this post by confessing that I am a huge animal lover (surprise!).

I care deeply about the welfare and conservation of all species, and believe that we should be invested in their protection simply because it is the right and just thing to do. Considering that human activity has contributed almost exclusively to endangerment, I think we have a moral responsibility to step up and take action. But outside of that, there are some key reasons as to why the preservation of particular species is seriously important. And in my somewhat biased opinion, one of the most significant of these animals is the elephant. The impact they have on the environment, national economies, international security and even the human spirit is so large that it has to be said; if we can save the elephants, we might just save the world. Here’s how:

Elephants are a Keystone Species, playing the role of Ecosystem Engineers.
To borrow the trusty Wikipedia definition, ‘a keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance’. Basically, they play a critical role in the creation and survival of their ecosystem. And considering that elephants span across the African and Asian continents, we’re talking about a pretty large ecosystem indeed.

In the hierarchy of keystone species, elephants score the pretty cool job title of ‘Ecosystem Engineers’. In the African savannah, elephants push over and strip trees, making way for a plethora of grass species. The grass feeds the grazing herbivores such as zebra, antelope and buffalo, which in turn feed the carnivores, such as lions and leopards. Asian elephants and African Forest elephants are hugely important for seed dispersal, as they eat the fruit of various pant species and ‘deposit’ it across vast distances. In one study, it was found that elephants dispersed seeds over 57km, whereas most animals will just spread seeds a few hundred meters away from the source. This ensures the diversity and health of many of the world’s largest rainforests, which in turn are responsible for stabilising the climate of the ENTIRE WORLD. So elephants can pretty much add ‘Climate Change Superheros’ to their resume.

Eco-Tourism is a really, really big industry.
As outlined above, elephants are pretty essential to the health of their ecosystems. Without them, many other flora and fauna species would suffer – if not altogether perish. It’s easy to see the effect this would have on the eco-tourism industry, considering that millions of tourists travel to places in Africa and Asia each year, entirely for the purpose of viewing animals in the wild and experiencing the wonders of nature. In Africa, the eco-tourism industry is said to be worth some 50 billion dollars – hugely significant for many national economies and local communities. The Kenyan government has been particularly vocal about the economic impact of ivory poaching, claiming it threatens over 300,000 jobs alone.

Ivory poaching is funding terrorist organisations and international crime networks.
I’ve spoken before about the ties between ivory poaching and terrorist organizations and international criminal syndicates. The Somalia-based wing of Al-Qaeda raises $600,000 a month from poaching to fund its activities, as does Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army – the Ugandan rebel group notorious for abducting and enslaving children. Boko Haram – the group responsible for the recent kidnapping of 234 school girls in Nigeria – has also been explicitly identified as receiving funding from the ivory trade. A kilogram of ivory will sell for as much as $2,200 on the black market, and with a pair of bull tusks weighing around 120kg on average, that’s a hell of a lot of money. Chinese mafia organizations mostly do the buying and distributing of ivory once it has been obtained. If we can focus on putting an end to the demand of ivory through increased education and awareness in the Chinese market, as well as heighted protection in Africa, we would in turn dry up a significant portion of the funding for some of the world’s most notorious criminals.

Elephants hold a pretty special and powerful place in our hearts.
As our largest and perhaps most iconic land animal, elephants are revered across the world. Elephants are one of a handful of animals considered a flagship species, meaning they play an important role in promoting universal conservation awareness and engagement. By focusing on the protection of flagship species, organizations such as WWF are able conserve many other ‘umbrella’ species which share the same habitat or are vulnerable to similar threats. Additionally, it is the intelligence and human-like emotion of elephants that builds an important bridge of understanding for many people. Being able to relate to the social bonds and interactions of elephant brings an awareness that ALL animals are of importance, and that there right to live on this earth is as deserving and necessary as our own.

Published by Project Elephant

[Ref:  http://projectelephant.com.au]

In The News: Elephants in Solitary Confinement

[That's what most Zoo conditions are.]

Where the elephants roam, 

family means everything!

·                                 

P    Published: 8/12/2012 at 12:00 AM

 By Carol Buckley

In my work with elephants, I've seen some remarkable things, both in Thailand and around the world. One case in particular though stands out for me - that of Tina.

Tina, born and raised in captivity, enjoyed a brief period of relative freedom with fellow survivors of captivity at the elephant sanctuary.

When I first met Tina, she was serving a life sentence in solitary confinement at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. Born in captivity, the 33-year-old elephant had spent much of her life alone in a cramped, barren pen.

As the co-founder of The Elephant Sanctuary, the largest natural-habitat refuge for captive elephants in the US, I can assure you that elephants desire companionship and freedom just as much as you and I do.

For elephants, family is everything. Births are joyous celebrations, and deaths are mourned. Adults share news and offer support, while youngsters play together under watchful eyes. Female elephants stay at their mothers' sides their entire lives.

Tina was born in a captive-breeding programme. As a mere toddler, she was torn away from her mother and sold to a zoo. By the time I met her, captivity had taken a heavy toll. Lack of exercise, improper diet and years of standing on unnaturally hard surfaces caused her to develop debilitating arthritis and osteomyelitis, a terminal foot disease.

Thankfully, the zoo staff realised that Tina deserved a better life and rallied to have her retired to The Elephant Sanctuary in August 2003. Adopted into a family of six sisters, including Winkie from Myanmar and Sissy from Sri Lanka, Tina finally had a herd to call her own.

Elephants have a remarkable capacity to create new families with fellow survivors of captivity.

Playful Tarra became one of Tina's favourite companions. Sissy, who carried a tyre around with her as if it were a security blanket, routinely spent time with Tina, especially at night, when she and Winkie returned to the barn. Winkie, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, often hung out with Tina under her favourite oak tree.

Tina's magnetic personality captivated her sanctuary caretakers, all of whom developed a deep bond with her. We watched with pleasure as she manoeuvred her way into the woods, swatted at butterflies and played enthusiastically with the plastic 44-gallon drum suspended from an oak tree.

She trumpeted incessantly, and we often found ourselves singing along when she broke into song.

We worked hard to heal her feet, watching over her with caution and guarded optimism. Her positive attitude and strong will to survive were an inspiration to us all.

Tina soon became the darling of the late-night "ele-cam", our live-streaming video. Fans tuned in to watch as Tina savoured her dinner while receiving her nightly foot care. Everyone shared in her excitement when, following foot soaks, her enrichment toy was filled with her favourite treat; purple grapes.

Then, in mid-July of 2004, we watched as Tina's condition worsened. Her osteomyelitis became critical, and managing her pain became challenging. One week later, on July 21, I watched as Tina slowly laid down on the barn floor for the first time since her arrival. I knew what this meant. I begged her to stay, but she just looked at me in her tender Tina way, and I knew her decision had been made.

She closed her eyes and passed away peacefully, surrounded by her adopted family of humans and elephants.

Our sorrow covered the sanctuary like a heavy cloud. The suddenness of Tina's death filled us with inconsolable grief and unanswered questions. Later, a necropsy would show that a heart problem, possibly a genetic defect, caused her death.

But we could not escape knowing that two decades of osteomyelitis had caused her a lifetime of pain.

As we humans busied ourselves with the details of laying Tina to rest, her herd-mates held a vigil over her body. Tarra was the first to come in from the habitat to visit Tina. Sissy and Winkie, who had been her closest companions, spent the entire night and next day standing quietly over their departed friend.

Visibly distraught, Winkie pushed and prodded Tina as if trying to get her to wake up.

As Tina was being buried, Winkie and Tarra stood at the edge of the grave, unwilling to allow the bulldozer to cover Tina's body with dirt.

Their grief was heartbreaking. Tarra kept grabbing my hand and guiding me towards Tina in a gesture to "go get her". All three girls spent the evening and the next day at the grave. Before they left, Sissy gently placed her beloved tyre on top of Tina's grave like a wreath.

Tina embodied love and compassion, and I feel blessed to have known and loved her. Watching her experience the joys of freedom and friendship was a wonder to behold.

I remember the first time she left the barn and entered the world of trees and vegetation. Using her sore feet like shovels, she gleefully flung mounds of dirt onto her back. She spent hours in the shade of the forest canopy, immersed in nature and savouring her new home. Later, in the barn, she emanated tranquility. As she munched on fresh-cut bamboo stalks, she appeared to be miles away, almost as if she were in a dream.

Like Tina, Mali - the Manila Zoo's lonely elephant - deserves to know freedom and family. Mali has been in solitary confinement for far too long. Nothing would make Mali happier than spending the remaining 30-plus years of her life as part of a herd.

Mali does have a second chance at life: President Benigno Aquino III has issued a directive stating that Mali's health should be evaluated and that she should be considered for transfer.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has offered to bear all associated costs and the burden of moving Mali to a sanctuary in Northern Thailand which specialises in rehabilitating Asian elephants.

The sanctuary can offer Mali everything that the Manila Zoo can't: Acres of land in which to roam, the care of experts and, most importantly, friends to call her own.

---

Carol Buckley is the founder, president and chief executive officer of Elephant Aid International. She rescues and rehabilitates needy elephants worldwide and provides them with hands-on care and compassion-based training.

[Source:  http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/325122/where-the-elephants-roam-family-means-everything]

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As many of my readers know, elephants have a special place in my heart.  When you visit a Zoo or other places with captive elephants, please keep the hardship that these animals have to endure - physically and emotionally - in mind.  Please support organizations that work to give captive elephants sanctuary such as PAWS [www.pawsweb.org] or the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee [http://www.elephants.com/].

I have worked as an elephant keeper in Thailand at a wildlife sanctuary that at that time cared for 7 captive elephants.  These animals had now large grassland to roam, a pond to swim in daily with volunteers scrubbing their back - the highlight for the volunteers and maybe for the elephants as well!   The giants were gently and had found peace at WFFT [http://www.wfft.org/].  For me the experience was life changing.  I hope that by sharing stories as the one above and others that have appeared on my Travel TidBits I will raise awareness for the many plights of captive animals, and also raise awareness of the continued habitat destruction in many places around the world.  Extinction of animal species will not stop there - survival of humanity is at stake as well.

Til next time,
Meggi