World Elephant Day
August 12, 2016 is World Elephant Day. It's a day where people around the world help bring attention to protect and celebrate elephants. They are on the brink of extinction due to the high demand of ivory. 96 elephants are killed every day in Africa for their ivory tusks. Their tusks are elongated incisors (teeth) which they use for digging, stripping bark from trees, defending themselves, and to move large obstacles, such as logs, out of the way.
There are two species of elephants. Asian and African. What is the easiest way to tell them apart? The African elephant has enormous ears which are shaped like the continent of Africa. The Asian elephant's have much smaller ears. Both male and female African elephants have tusks, where as only the male Asian elephant have tusks. In the photo above, this sweet female African elephant never developed her tusks. Unfortunately I packed most of my photos away for our move, so I don't have any of elephants with tusk photos handy.
Elephants have thick wrinkled skin with little hairs on them. Their feet are like shock absorbers acting like cushions when they walk.
Elephants are vulnerable to extinction in the wild. Poachers are killing the elephants for their ivory tusk. Elephants are important to the ecosystem as they create open forest and grasslands by ripping up bushes and knocking down trees. They also make waterholes for other animals, and disperse seed through their poop. Without elephants, many animals and habitat will be lost.
Show your support today for these amazing animals and "Go Grey." Wear grey clothing, grey jewelry, grey hair, head bands, get fancy, and do whatever you can to help support these magnificent creatures.
For other ways to help save elephants go to 96 Elephants by clicking this link.
www.96elephants.org/