Elephants have an undeniable charm that makes them irresistibly cute – especially when they’re playing. These magnificent creatures, renowned for their immense size and strength, reveal a remarkably tender side when they frolic and interact with one another. As some of the largest (and most adorable) animals on the planet, it’s no wonder that people […]
Tag: forest elephant
Elephants that once threatened Rome could help save their descendants
Approximately 415,000 African elephants live in the wild, according to the WWF. Credit: By Beks on Unsplash. Ivory from an ancient shipwreck off Spain is providing data that might aid conservation of modern elephant populations. More than 2,500 years ago, a Phoenician ship, most likely a trader bringing luxury goods from the eastern Mediterranean and […]
Element Africa: Mines take their toll on nature and communities
ITURI PROVINCE, Democratic Republic of Congo — Civil society groups have condemned what they say is illegal gold mining in Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For several years, a Chinese-owned company, Kimia Mining, has been operating a concession inside the reserve, irregularly granted by the DRC government. The groups are calling […]
The world is heading for the largest mass extinction event since the dinosaurs that will push millions of species to the brink of extinction within the next decade, WWF claims
The world is heading for the biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaurs within the next decade, pushing millions of plants and animals to the bring of extinction, the WWF has claimed. Elephants, polar bears, sharks, frogs and fish are all under threat according to the environmental organisation in its Winners and Losers of 2021 […]
In Mozambique, mystery of tuskless elephant points to poaching as the culprit
Mozambique’s 15-year civil war changed the face of its national parks, which underwent rampant poaching of big mammals, including elephants. It did much more. It changed the face of female African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana). The unusually large number of tuskless females at the Gorongosa National Park today can be traced back to the ravages […]
Poachers are driving African elephants towards extinction
African elephants are at an increased risk of extinction due to poaching and habitat loss, conservationists have warned. Both of the continent’s species, forest and savanna elephants, have been labelled as endangered in the new Red List produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The two species have seen significant declines over the […]
In Uganda, safeguarding chimpanzees against the scourge of snaring
KANYAWARA, Uganda — As they hack their way with pangas through the dense and prickly undergrowth, a palpable sense of tension grips the camo-clad patrol party navigating the rainforest of Kibale National Park. An hour and a half into their hike, they hastily change course and flee to higher ground, keeping upwind of the forest […]
New maps show where humans are pushing species closer to extinction
Animals around the globe are losing ground to farming and ranching, and their numbers are dwindling at the hands of human hunters. But the question of where to direct precious resources to protect that biodiversity remains vexing. This week, a team of researchers published a new study with the potential to aid that calculus, for […]