Have you ever wondered how important elephants are, not just for wildlife but for our whole planet? Every March 13th, Thailand throws a grand celebration called "Elephant Day" to celebrate these gentle giants.
Research from Nature Geoscience even shows that if African elephants disappear, greenhouse gases could rise by 7%, speeding up climate change! And sadly, Asian elephants are already endangered.
Before we talk about protecting them, let's dive into some fascinating facts about these incredible creatures.
Elephants: Our Gentle Giants and the Forest’s Best Friends
We often think of elephants as wise, loyal friends to humans. In history, they've helped with labor, served as transport, and even assisted in battles. Their gentle nature and intelligence made them beloved companions. But did you know? They also play a major role in ecosystems as "ecosystem engineers." By trampling paths through thick forests, digging for water, and spreading seeds through their droppings, elephants help many other species survive. Without them, the forests would struggle to stay healthy and diverse.
Why Are Elephants Losing Their Homes?
Sadly, as human activities expand — from land sales to industrial development — elephants are losing their precious forest homes. Without enough habitat, elephants and humans come into more frequent conflict. Even worse, these disruptions increase the risk of exploitation and extinction for many species, including elephants. Our friends at Greenpeace Thailand put together "5 Things You Should Know About Elephants" to help all of us understand why elephants are vital — and why they urgently need our protection.
1. Do Elephants Really Live on Sugarcane?
We often imagine elephants happily munching on bananas and sugarcane, but their diet is much broader! Elephants are the largest vegetarians on land, eating grasses, bamboo, and various plants — sometimes up to 10% of their body weight each day. However, human-caused forest fires, which account for a shocking 99.8% of incidents, are destroying their food sources. These fires also cause serious air pollution and contribute heavily to global warming, putting even more pressure on elephants’ survival.
2. Why Domesticated Elephants Need Supplements
Elephants raised by humans can't always choose a balanced natural diet, so they often need extra help. Caretakers feed them seasonal plants, along with treats like bananas, sugarcane, and cucumbers to encourage better eating. Sometimes sticky rice and tamarind are mixed in for a sweeter flavor. When elephants face digestion problems or dehydration, herbs like wormwood and Thai ginger are added to their meals. It's all about keeping our big friends healthy and happy!
3. Why Do Elephants Collapse?
When the weather gets abnormally hot, elephants can become depressed and literally collapse from the heat. This often happens to elephants aged 20 to 40, their most active years. Villagers usually take them swimming to cool them down. But we know the real solution: we must slow down global warming. Only by keeping the planet's temperature stable can elephants continue to thrive naturally.
4. Elephants Struggle to See Clearly in Daylight
Although elephants are huge and mighty, their daytime vision isn't great — they can only see clearly within about 7.6 meters! Instead, they rely on their powerful trunks to sniff out the environment and use their keen hearing to detect small sounds like cracking wood or rustling leaves. Unfortunately, if elephants live near industrial areas or polluted communities, they can inhale harmful chemicals, putting their health at serious risk. Our actions have a direct impact on their survival.
5. The World's Largest Land Mammal
When it comes to size, elephants are the ultimate record-holders! Asian elephants weigh around 4,200 kilograms on average and can stretch up to nearly 6 meters in length. Meanwhile, African elephants are even bigger, sometimes tipping the scales at 13,000 kilograms! Their towering presence makes them some of the most magnificent animals walking the earth today.
Elephants Face Serious Survival Challenges
Even though elephants are gentle and smart, they've faced relentless threats over the past 75 years. Poaching for ivory and habitat destruction have pushed Asian elephants to the brink. Since 1986, they have been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and their numbers have plummeted by at least 50%. Today, fewer than 50,000 wild Asian elephants remain. About 20% of the world's population lives in areas where Asian elephants roam, making habitat protection more critical than ever.
We Hold the Power to Save Elephants!
The towering figures of elephants are fading from our forests. If we want future generations to live side by side with these amazing beings, we need to actnow. We can advocate for better forest protection laws, ensure governments enforce these policies, and help create safe spaces where elephants can live freely. Every small step we take can add up to a big difference.
Lykkers, will you join us in becoming the guardians of our gentle giants? Let's make sure elephants continue to roam the earth — strong, free, and wild — for many generations to come!
Elephants 101 | Nat Geo Wild
Video by Nat Geo Animals
