For my first round of research I will be addressing why certain species of elephants are going extinct. Below I have used multiple resources and I will assure to list them below.
There are two main reasons why elephants have been going extinct. Those are relentless habitat loss and human-elephant conflict (1). Over the century elephants have experienced a major habitat loss (1 and 2). The first one I would like to bring up is due to humans wanting more land for agriculture (1) ; they have pushed the elephants out of their home forcing them to find a new place to live. Since, their home had food and resourced and they must move away it results in elephants being in a more isolated area which is not suitable for elephants dietary needs and their need for space since they are a massive animal (2). Human ressources such as oil, gas and mining have caused damage in the elephants home that forces them to move to a cleaner area, this also contributes to climat change which has a major effect on the elephants environnement (3). Those ressources have made elephants home less suitable (3). As result, elephants have had to adapt to this change which has resulted in many elephants dying (3).
The last paragraph brings me to my next point. The human elephant conflict (1). This conflict has resulted in many elephant and human deaths (4). Since elephants have had to switch homes this has resulted in elephants raiding farmers crops, property destruction, or humans getting to close to elephants resulting in death (for the human or elephant) (4). Due to climat change this has resulted in less resources for the elephants as well as humans, which has created competition between the two in order to find resources (4). In some countries elephants are used for tourist attractions such as elephants washing, elephant rides, for the circus or the zoo (5). This industry involves a lot of abuse towards the elephants (5). This industry involves capturing and hitting elephants from a young age behind the scenes (5) . What may seem like a harmless and fun tourist attraction can involve abuse (5). All of these factors have contribute to the human- elephant conflict which is a main reason for them going extinct (1). Since this is a major factor (1) and it involves humans we are able to stop the human- elephant conflict (2). Many organizations are doing fantastic work and they are advocating to put laws in place to protect our wildlife (6).
In conclusion there are two main factors as well as many smaller factors that contribute to the decrease in elephants (1).
- https://iere.org/why-will-elephants-go-extinct
- https://sigmaearth.com/african-elephants-habitat-loss-and-adaptation/
- https://elephanatics.org/african-elephants/habitat-destruction/
- https://www.ifaw.org/journal/human-elephant-conflict-major-threat
- https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.nz/news/cruelty-involved-elephant-bathing
- https://www.zoocheck.com/bill-s-15-to-protect-elephants-great-apes/
Thank you!
Hi Hailey!
From reading your first round of research, I can see you put in a lot of effort trying to answer the question why elephants are going extinct. I also thought you did a great job including a conclusion at the end to summaries how many points you made throughout this blog. I wasn’t too sure what your next blog post research will be about, so I just found a resource that talks more about the endangered African elephant species.
Link: https://iucn.org/news/species/202103/african-elephant-species-now-endangered-and-critically-endangered-iucn-red-list
Hopefully it helps in someway!
Hi Hailey! I love this post, and what it stands for! What an important topic that isn’t talked about enough.
I really like how clearly you explained the two major factors causing elephant populations to decline. Your post makes it easy to understand how habitat loss and human-elephant conflict connect and build on each other. I also thought it was great how you highlighted both environmental pressures and the impact of tourism. It shows you’re looking at the issue from multiple angles.
Something you might find helpful for future posts is adding a real-world case example such as a specific region where elephant populations have dropped or a conservation project that’s worked. It can help readers picture these issues happening in real life.
Here is a helpful resource for your future posts: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/elephant/
This link is helpful because it provides up to date information on elephant species, populations, threats such as habitat loss, poaching and updated conservation efforts.
Good luck in your next round of research!