IF ELEPHANTS COULD SPEAK THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD TELL US. THEY WOULD EXPLAIN US THAT THEY NEED THEIR TUSKS TO CARRY OUT EVERYDAY ACTIONS LIKE EATING TREE BARK, AND THAT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO EAT IT THEY HAVE TO PEEL THE BARK OFF WITH THE HELP OF THEIR TUSKS. THEREFORE, ELEPHANTS’ TUSKS ARE KEY TO THESE MAMMALS AND SHOULD BE RESPECTED BY EVERYONE.
THESE CHARISMATIC ANIMALS THAT INVITE YOU TO CHILL OUT JUST BY LOOKING AT THEM “ HAVE A FISSION-FUSION SOCIETY IN WHICH MULTIPLE FAMILY GROUPS COME TOGETHER TO SOCIALIZE ” .
” DEFINITELY , THEIR INTELLIGENCE HAS BEEN COMPARED WITH THAT OF PRIMATES AND CETACEANS, AND THEY APPEAR TO HAVE SELF-AWARENESS AND SHOW EMPATHY FOR DYING AND DEAD INDIVIDUALS OF THEIR KIND “.
ACCORDING TO SCIENTIFIC STUDIES, ELEPHANTS APPEAR TO FEEL EMOTION SINCE THEY BECOME INTERESTED IN ANY DEAD ELEPHANTS THEY FIND ANYWHERE. THEY ALSO HAVE GOT AN OUTSTANDING MEMORY.
REGARDLESS HOW HIGHLY RECOGNIZED THEY ARE IN POPULAR CULTURE AND ART ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND DESPITE THE FACT THEY ARE AN ENDANGERED AND VULNERABLE SPECIES, COUNTRIES SUCH AS BOTSWANA, NAMIBIA, ZIMBABWE, MALAWI AND SOUTH AFRICA ALLOW RESTRICTED TRADE. IN THESE FIVE COUNTRIES AND IN OTHERS LIKE CAMEROON, GABON, MOZAMBIQUE, TANZANIA AND ZAMBIA, AUTHORITIES THERE ALLOW SPORT HUNTING AND “ EXPORT QUOTAS FOR ELEPHANT TROPHIES “. IN 2012, INDIA CARRIED OUT “ ONE OF THE WORST CONCENTRATED KILLINGS” OF ELEPHANTS FOR THEIR IVORY.
ALL RIGHT, HAVING REACHED THIS POINT, LET US ALL CALL A SPADE A SPADE, AND CLARIFY FIRST THAT ALLOWING IVORY RESTRICTED TRADE IS AS UNACCEPTABLE AS STATING THEY ALLOW UNRESTRICTED IVORY TRADE. IN ADDITION TO THIS, WHO ON EARTH WOULD WANT TO TRAVEL TO THOSE AFRICAN COUNTRIES, WHERE SUCH HORRIFYING PRACTICES TAKE PLACE? NOT ME, FOR SURE!. HONOR TO GOD, I WOULD TURN DOWN ANY FREE LUXURY TRIPS TO ANY OF THOSE IVORY TRADE AFRICAN COUNTRIES. I WOULD NOT ENJOY MY STAY OVER THERE WHATSOEVER, JUST THINKING OF THE FACT THAT SUCH BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL ANIMALS ARE BEING KILLED BY SELFISH AUTHORITIES.
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT ELEPHANTS ARE SUCH BEAUTIFUL MONUMENTS IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT TUSKS ARE FOR THEM, SO HERE GOES THE FOLLOWING.
“MUCH OF THE INCISOR ( TUSK ) CAN BE SEEN EXTERNALLY, WHILE THE REST IS FASTENED TO A SOCKET IN A SKULL. AT LEAST ONE-THIRD OF THE TUSK CONTAINS THE PULP AND SOME HAVE NERVES STRETCHING TO THE TIP. THUS, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE IT WITHOUT HARMING THE ANIMAL. WHEN REMOVED, IVORY BEGINS TO DRY UP AND CRACK IF NOT KEPT COOL AND MOIST “.
” TUSKS SERVE MULTIPLE PURPOSES. THEY ARE USED FOR DIGGING FOR WATER, SALT AND ROOTS; DEBARKING OR MARKING TREES; AND FOR MOVING TREES AND BRANCHES WHEN CLEANING A PATH ” .
” WHEN FIGHTING, THEY ARE USED TO ATTACK AND DEFEND, AND TO PROTECT THE TRUNK ” .
” ELEPHANTS’ TRUNK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND VERSATILE APPENDAGE. IT CONTAINS UP TO 150, 000 SEPARATE MUSCLE FASCICLES, WITH NO BONE AND LITTLE FAT ” .
” TRUNKS HAVE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING BREATHING, TOUCHING, GRASPING AND SOUND PRODUCTION ” .
” THE TRUNK’S ABILITY TO MAKE POWERFUL TWISTING AND COOLING MOVEMENTS ALLOW IT TO COLLECT FOOD, WRESTLE WITH CONSPECIFICS, AND LIFT UP TO 350 KG ( 770 LB ), AND SO LOSING THE TRUNK WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO AN ELEPHANT’S SURVIVAL”.
HAVING SAID ALL THIS, WE CERTAINLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, WHATEVER IS WITHIN OUR REACH, TO STOP THE IVORY TRADE., THAT IS JEOPARDIISING ELEPHANTS’ EVERYDAY LIFE. REMOVING THE IVORY, THAT IS, THEIR TUSKS IMPLIES THESE MAJESTIC BEINGS ARE BOUND TO A SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH, REGARDING THE STATE OF LACK OF PROTECTION THE TRUNK IS IN, WITHOUT THEIR LIFE COMPANION TUSK. THIS CRUEL IVORY TRADE IS KILLING ELEPHANTS, MAKING THEIR TRUNKS FLOPPY. THEY START SUFFERING FROM TRUNK PARALYSIS, CAUSED BY THE DEGRADATION OF NERVES AND MUSCLES, LEADING THEM TO A SURE END TO THEIR LIVES.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN LIFE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RESPECTED. WELL, ELEPHANTS’ TUSKS ( IVORY ) IS ONE OF THESE. WHEN WE SAY IVORY, TUSKS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THEIR TRUNKS, BECAUSE TRUNK AND TUSK ARE JOINED TOGETHER, AND REMOVING ANY OF THEM HARMS THE OTHER, PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT RISK. ELEPHANTS USE THEIR TRUNKS TO PUT ON SOME MUD ON THEIR SKIN AS A SUNSCREEN, TO PROTECT THEIR SKIN AGAINST INSECT BITES, TO BLOW DUST ONTO THEIR BODIES AS ANOTHER SKIN PROTECTION, TO SUCK UP WATER AND INHALE AIR.
ELEPHANTS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE BIRDS AND INSECTS ARE RELEVANT TOO, AND EVERYONE OF THEM IS CONNECTED, AS WELL AS WE ARE CONNECTED TO THEM. CERTAIN INSECTS ARE NECESSARY TO GET RID OF HARMFUL, UNNECESSARY ONES. BIRDS ARE LOVELY, DESIRABLE CREATURES, WELCOMED ANYTIME, ANYPLACE. BIRDS AND INSECTS NEED SEEDS TO SURVIVE, AND ELEPHANTS ARE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTORS TO THE DISPERSION OF THEM, BECAUSE THEY INGEST AND DEFECATE SEEDS, AND AS A RESULT OF IT, THEY DISPERSE MANY OF THEM ALL OVER THE PLACE.. THAT IS WHY , “ ELEPHANTS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE KEYSTONE SPECIES DUE TO THEIR IMPACT IN THE ENVIRONMENTS ” . ANOTHER WELL –WORTH MENTIONING TRAIT ELEPHANTS HAVE IS THAT AS THEY ARE SO SOCIALLY ORGANIZED, WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO OTHER AREAS, THEIR YOUNG ONES ( CALVES ) ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GROUP, IN ORDER TO BE PROTECTED.
APART FROM THE IVORY TRADE ANOTHER THREAT TO ELEPHANTS IS FOREST DESTRUCTION. THESE BIG MAMMALS NEED LARGE AREAS, AND AS THEY EAT CROPS IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO CREATE “ URBAN CORRIDORS “ ALLOWING ELEPHANTS HAVE THEIR OWN PATHS TO SPECIFIC FOREST AREAS. LET US ALL HAVE A LOT OF NERVE TO BE PERSISTENT ON PROTECTING ELEPHANTS. THEY ARE COMPLETELY DEFENSELESS WITHOUT US. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH DEATHS, BECAUSE EACH OF US HAS THE POWER TO DO SOMETHING TO STOP THE POACHING OF ELEPHANTS FOR THEIR IVORY, AND PROTECT THEM. LET US NOT BE PREDATORY NOR GREEDY, AND LET US VALUE AND RESPECT THESE SOCIABLE, CARING ANIMALS.
POLITICIANS SHOULD BE RESERVING FORESTS FOR ELEPHANTS, SO THAT THESE IMPRESSIVE ANIMALS CAN GET IN RETURN WHAT THEY GAVE US BACK THEN, PROTECTING US IN WARS, AND HELPING US AT WORK FOR CENTURIES IN THE PAST. PRESERVING THEIR NATURAL HABITATS WILL BE GOOD FOR ALL MANKIND AND ANIMAL LIFE IN THE LONG RUN, AND IT WILL IMPLY RESPECT FOR OTHER BEINGS IS RESPECTED.
THE QUOTES I HAVE SHARED WITH ALL OF YOU ARE FROM ELEPHANTS,WIKIPEDIA-THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA .