Middleton 1

Kelsey Middleton

Moss P.4

English 11 Pre Ap Honors

04 February 2018

Indian Elephant

Roaming through the high grass of India, in the heat of the day and some of the night, the

large and harmless Indian elephant searches for water to clean itself. Finding a pond, he sucks

water up with its long trunk and waves his trunk around its body spraying the water. He then

waves his large ears like a fan drying up any remaining moisture. He returns roaming for some

palm frond leaves and branches to eat. He moseys along to a blackberry bush and begins to

snack. He wraps his trunk around the branches of the bush, picks off some berries, and starts

munching. The females feed their calf some milk too. Finishing his food, he roams until he needs

to take a rest and lay down for an hour or two. After getting in a little nap, the elephant is up and

roaming, eating, and cleaning all over again. His peaceful day is then disrupted by a predator, a

human. Running as fast as he can, he tries to escape from the human. Sadly, the elephant is

trapped and the human cuts of its tusks. The elephant is released and now having to live the rest

of its life with no tusks.

The Indian Elephant, scientifically known as the Elephas Maximus Indicus, is the fourth

most endangered elephant according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Appearing in India,

Laos, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, the large

herds are easily visible to humans and sometimes migrate over peoples land (Indian Elephant

Redorbit). The world's largest herbivore is also the mammal with the longest gestation period.
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Indian Elephants have been endangered since 1986 because of their biggest predator, humans.

Many groups such as the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation Centre, National Elephant

Conservation Authority, Project Elephant, Elephant Crisis Fund, and the WWF help to protect

some of the last Indian Elephants on the planet (Indian Elephant WWF).

The Indian Elephant is identified having 7ft-10ft in height, up to 21 feet in length,

weighing 6,500lbs-11,000lbs, living for 55-70 years, and being grey, black or brown. Traveling

in herds with up to 100 elephants, their top speed is 27mph. Loose leather skin type is essential

for the elephant being able to move their massive body parts, although it is only 2-4 centimeters

thick, and prevents the elephant from sweating. Only male Indian elephants have tusks because it

is a way for them to compete for a mate. Large feet, ears, and a long trunk help the elephant take

care of its body and walk long distances. Having large feet gives them the ability to migrate,

their large ears flap to keep them cool and hear up to 200 miles away, and their long trunk can

gather food and suck up water so they can spray down their dirty bodies. Mentally, “elephants

are the largest living and biggest-brained land animal in the world” (12 Animals with the

Longest Gestation Period).

(Indian Elephant Redorbit)

This animal is a herbivore, and thus finds much food in habitats with many plants such as

rainforests, jungles, dry forests, and grasslands. Indian elephants spend upto 19 hours a day

eating, producing 220 pounds of waste a day (Indian Elephant WWF). Grasses, tree bark, roots,
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leaves, small stems, bananas, rice, sugarcane, peanuts, fruit, and of course water are part of the

elephants diet. Eating trees and leaves, the elephants help to spread germinating seeds.

Germinating seeds are seeds that grow and produce new seeds (Indian Elephant WWF).

Elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals. Female Indian elephants are

able to breed when they are 10-14 years old, and “give birth to a single Indian elephant calf after

a 22 month gestation period” (Indian Elephant A-Z). Females breed with males who are 40-50

years old. This makes it harder to increase the number of elephants because there are not many

40-50 year old males and “the females tend to run away from the males and he will have to

pursue her” (Elephant Reproduction). Males trying to pursue the females can continue for a

prolonged amount of time before the mating actually occurs. The baby elephants when born

weigh about 260 pounds, are blind, and stay with their mother for guidance and to receive food.

Baby elephants drink about 10 gallons of milk a day, so many female elephants care for the baby

at a time (Elephant Reproduction).

Migration takes place during monsoon season. This is when the switch from dry to wet

seasons occur. The oldest elephant leads the herd. Humans disrupt the migration route by

building farms so the elephants just run through the farms and destroy the crops. Because of the

farms causing habitat loss, elephants “cannot follow ancient migratory routes or mix with other

herds” (Indian Elephant WWF). Most of the time after destroying farms, the farmers often kill

the elephants in retaliation. The WWF wants to prevent this from happening by “reconnect[ing]

12 protected areas and encourage community based action to mitigate human-elephant conflict”

(Indian Elephant WWF).

Predators of the elephant are tigers, grizzly bears, and humans. Tigers tend to only hunt

the “smaller Indian elephant calves” (Indian Elephant A-Z). Grizzly bears only attack when the
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elephants migrate. Humans are the main reason why Indian elephants are endangered. In the

world, there are estimated to only be 20,000 Indian elephants alive. “Elephants could be gone

from the wild within a single generation” (Save the Elephants). The three main reasons why

elephants are endangered are habitat loss, humans hunting them, and human poachers. Elephants

are now known to only be surviving in cultivation, in captivity, or as wild animals able to survive

and reproduce (Indian Elephant WWF). The reason for this is habitat loss. Africa's human

population is estimated to double by 2050 (Save the Elephants). This means humans will build

and harvest in more space which takes away land for the elephants. Deforestation leads to less

food for elephants. “Illegal encroachment into protected areas and forest clearing for roads are all

causing habitat loss and fragmentation” (Indian Elephant WWF). Encroachment is the intrusion

of one's property, which in this case is the humans intruding the elephants. Fragmentation is

referring to the elephants not having a direct migration path due to human settlement. Indian

elephants are the only elephants to be utilized by people (Indian Elephant Redorbit). There are

many ways in which humans hurt the elephants. Humans domesticate elephants for battle and

foresting. Tourists can ride the elephants for entertainment and watch them perform at carnivals,

but what the tourists don't know it that they are treated badly. Poachers illegally target male

elephants for their ivory tusks. “100,000 elephants in Africa were killed for their ivory tusks

between 2010 and 2012” (Save the Elephants).

Anyone can help save the Indian elephants. People who live close to the elephants can do

more to help them in person, where people far away can send money and vote on laws. An

example of how people who live close can help is through the Wildlife SOS Elephant

Conservation and Care Centre. This is in Mathura and they make “colourful, pyjama-like

garments” for the elephants to wear at night because of the freezing temperatures that cause
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pneumonia (Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to protect the large mammals from near-

freezing temperatures). The founder of the Centre, Kartick Satyanarayan, has also taken in 20

“rescued elephants who have previously suffered chronic neglect and beatings from cruel

handlers” (Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to protect the large mammals from near-

freezing temperatures).

(Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to protect the

large mammals from near-freezing temperatures)

Another group that helps save elephants is the National Elephant Conservation Authority. One

reason why they want to protect the elephants is because “Indian authorities have now decided to

declare the elephants its national heritage animal” (Wild Elephant in India: Status, Trends,

Threats). Project Elephant and Task Force on Project Elephant help to regulate man to animal

conflict and find an “effective conservation and management regime” (Wild Elephant in India:

Status, Trends, Threats). President Obama had three rules regarding elephants put into place

while he was in office: 1, ban all ivory sales, 2, strengthen international protections against

wildlife trafficking, 3, preserve and defend ecosystems through sustainable tourism (3 Things

We Can Fix Right Now To Prevent Elephant Extinction). Rule one has been accepted by many

states and countries, but many people still kill elephants for their ivory tusks illegally. Rule two

reaches to end all elephant and rhino horn poaching, and rule three aims to “establish and

strengthen sustainable tourism programs” (Wild Elephant in India: Status, Trends, Threats). Save
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the Elephants is an organization where anyone around the world can help Indian elephants. Their

mission is to “develop a tolerant relationship between the two species (humans and elephants)”

(Save the Elephants). A project they are working on is elephant tracking. Being able to track

elephants will help the organization learn about their everyday life so the conservations they

build will mimic it. The way the organization is able to do this is by donations. “Save the

Elephants is funded almost entirely by private donations and rely on funds, grants and donations

from around the world” (Save the Elephants). The final way in which everyone can help the

Indian elephants is to sign up and be a park guard for the elephant habitats. The WWF sends

people to Vietnam conservations to take care of the elephants (Indian Elephant WWF).

The Indian elephant is a large but gentle mammal. Because of their habitat being in the

middle of the rapidly growing India, most of their habitat has been destroyed by humans. Habitat

loss, poaching, and hunting the male elephants for their tusks has lead to their endangered status.

Making it illegal to sell ivory reduces the rate of possible hunting. Support groups from around

the world help personally and through online donations. Establishing protected habitats for the

Indian elephant to live safely helps prevent the extinction of them.

Works Cited

Animals, A-Z. "Indian Elephant." A-Z Animals - Animal Facts, Pictures and Resources., www.a-

z-animals.com/animals/indian-elephant/.10 Feb. 2017. Accessed 02 Feb. 2018.

Bulman, May. "Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to protect the large mammals from

near-freezing temperatures." Google. Google, www.google.com/amp/www.Indepe

ndent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-elephant-jumpers-villagers-knit-protect-near-freezing-
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temperatures-weather-mathura-a7535101.html%3Famp PICTURE. 19 Jan. 2017.

Accessed 03 Feb 2018.

Chappaz, Nicolas. "Wild Elephant in India: Status, Trends, Threats." OPEN-EARTH.,

www.open-earth.org/document/natureR_main.php? natureId=1177. 28 Feb. 2010.

Accessed 03 Feb. 2018.

DC, Elephants. "3 Things We Can Fix Right Now To Prevent Elephant Extinction." The Dodo,

www.thedodo.com/3-things-we-can-f ix-right-now-to-prevent-elephant- extinction-

1264478037.html. 24 July 2015. Accessed 03 Feb. 2018

Douglas-Hamilton, CBE, Dr. Iain. "Save the Elephants." Save the Elephants., www.

savetheelephants.org. Accessed 02 Feb. 2018.

"Elephant Reproduction." Elephant Facts and Information, www.elephant-world.com/ elephant-

reproduction/. Accessed 03 Feb. 2018.

Jayasinghe, Nilanga. "Indian Elephant." WWF. World Wildlife Fund, www. worldwildlife.org

/species/indian-elephant. Accessed 03 Feb. 2018.

Nelson, Bryan. "12 Animals with the Longest Gestation Period." MNN - Mother Nature

Network, www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/ photos/12-animals-with-the-longest-

gestation-period/elephants. 31 May 2017. Accessed 03 Feb. 2018.

Schoch, Thomas. "Indian Elephant." Redorbit. www. Redorbit.com/reference/indianele phant/

PICTURE. Accessed 03 Feb. 2018.