12 Aug Giants of the Earth: World Elephant Day
Happy World Elephant Day!
Every year on August 12th, this day is dedicated to the preservation and the need of protection for this incredible species. From African to Asian elephants, this keystone species is an essential presence in maintaining balanced ecosystems. While we don’t have elephants at Ross Park Zoo due to our mountainous location, our commitment to their conservation is unwavering. We proudly organize Eco-Trips to South Africa in collaboration with local organizations like AERU (African Elephant Research Unit), offering participants a firsthand experience in African elephant research and conservation efforts.
Elephants are not just iconic; they are keystone species, playing a pivotal role in shaping and maintaining their habitats. Keystone species are represented by an organism that dictates the functionality, look, and balance of a whole ecosystem. When keystone species are absent this drastically changes the characteristics of an ecosystem and may even cause the ecosystem to disappear entirely! A few well known keystone species include beavers, coral, bees, wolves, sea otters, and of course elephants. From large to small there is no one example of what constitutes a keystone species, the definition is fully reliant upon their impact on their ecosystem.
Let’s look specifically at the African elephant. This endangered species is well-known to be hunted for its ivory tusks, tail hairs, as well as “pest” control. Oftentimes farmers are killing this species to keep them away from their crops, especially their fruits. Though with the current decline of this species, the drastic demise of the elephant will prove to be catastrophic to the African ecosystems that they inhabit.
At surface level they seem incredibly destructive. Taking down trees, ripping up plants, digging large holes with their tusks, they are actually very skilled landscapers. In doing so, removing vegetation and creating large passageways, they are aiding in wildfire management. When they are broken within the forests and grasslands, this helps contain the fires from spreading even further causing even more destruction. Elephants are also great planters! As they move along eating vegetation they also eat a numerous amount of fruits. An elephant has a single stomach that is separated into 4 different compartments but they only digest about 40% of their food. This can cause materials like fruit seeds to pass through their digestive system without getting digested or broken down at all! As they are excreted they are “planted” into the perfect fertilizer to grow, elephant dung. Specifically, elephants “are vital distributors of seeds from the Balanite tree. Many parts of this tree are used as famine food in some regions of Africa. Under normal conditions, just a fraction of seeds (less than 15 percent) turns into mature trees, but seeds digested by elephants are 50 percent more likely to start growing.*” If elephants disappear, forests become highly susceptible to be fully engulfed by wildfires and the plant biodiversity decreases immensely.
World Elephant Day highlights the keystone species as they shape landscapes and promote biodiversity. As we celebrate their remarkable abilities today, let us advocate for their conservation and support initiatives ensuring their survival. Join us in preserving the legacy of elephants and their vital contributions to our planet.
*https://greentumble.com/12-examples-of-keystone-species#elephants
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