“They say that somewhere in Africa the elephants have a secret grave where they go to lie down, unburden their wrinkled gray bodies, and soar away, light spirits at the end” 
― Robert R. McCammon, Boy's Life

 "The Unstoppable One"


Tembo (Swahili), Olifant (Afrikaans), Indlovu (Zulu), Tlou (Sotho) 
- these are all words for Elephant (Loxodonta Africana)

The African Elephant is the largest living animal on the planet, they are impressive, intelligent, mammals, herbivores and in DANGER.

Elephants were a common sight throughout Africa but their numbers has since dwindled from millions to less than 500 000.  They are being slaughtered for their ivory tusks, and are losing their habitat due to growing population, agriculture, logging and mining.  As habitats contract and human population expand, man and beast come into contact more and more.  Elephants migrate across borders and damage crops, this leads to conflict, and the elephant is usually on the losing end of this battle.

The illegal demand for ivory has lead to an increase in poaching. In spite of a world wide ban on the sale of ivory, thousands of elephant are killed each year to provide Asia and other Far East countries with ivory.  But they are not the only guilty ones, there a thriving ivory markets in Africa as well.  Elephant meat is also a considered a delicacy in some countries.

Governments are fighting a losing battle as they often do not have the money and other resources to curb poaching.

For more information please visit:

http://www.bloodyivory.org/

http://www.nationalgeographic.org

http://www.soselephants.org

http://www.wwf.org
the_african_elephant.pdf
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