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Department of Forestry and Wildlife Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria.
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A visit to the zoo for game viewing might give you an insight to the biggest land-dwelling mammal known as elephant, because they are very captivating, clever and fun to view. Their presence can easily draw your attention once they are sighted during safari. The objective of this article is to give us an insight how elephant modifies the environment to benefit other living organisms. The key roles of elephants in bionetworks are;
Globally elephants are considered to be the largest animals that forages on green plants. They depends on green plants on day-to-day basis. Some of the grasses, fruits and seeds consumes by elephants undergo digestion and the vital mineral elements are absorbed by the small interested whereas the left-over in the digestive tract are deposited inform of animal dung. This is how seeds are transported by elephants. Every elephant can dispersal seed several miles beyond conveying thousands of seed every day. In the course of searching for a mating partner a male elephant may travel 64 kilometer. This singular behaviour is responsible for effective dispersal of seeds to new locality, resulting to creation of new home range and food for other wildlife species.
Elephant can thrive in presences of drought because they can stay without water for close to four days. However, if water scarcity persist their tusks, trunks, and feet could be put into use to dig new waterholes, thereby making water available to themselves and other wildlife species. Already existing waterholes could be expanded to stimulate bathing and this might contribute to their survival during arid months of the year.
One of the collective advantage of elephant conservation is nature centered travel and leisure (tourism and recreation). Ecotourism is one of the global businesses with high profit yielding capacity with respect to those who have financed such venture in the past. There are more than 236 million international ecotourists globally, from studies. Elephant support and entice money for native populace. In life time an elephant could have close to US$ 1.6 million recreational value and such money generated could be used for nature conservation.
Elephants are considered to be highly influential in conservation of other wildlife species irrespective of how few they are in an environment because they are keystone species. Therefore, they play an essential function in modifying the landscape and safeguard biological diversity in the bionetworks. For instances, trampling and clearing creates space in between plants and equally promotes solar penetration into the ground layers. The growth of plants utilizing the ground layers could be promoted coupled with regeneration. More spaces are created for other wildlife species to use. Species diversity is also sustained from felling huge trees by elephant in savannahs creating promising tree for animals to browse and graze.
Elephant dungs are very rich in terms of in mineral elements and roughage because close to half of what elephant consumed truly undergo complete digestion. Hence, their dung is very essential in nutrient reutilizing resulting to immediate sprouting and development of plants. Approximate hundred species are dependent on elephants including the tiny dung beetle and smaller herbivores. Tell tree branches are demolished by elephant, making food accessible to smaller herbivores.
Elephant poachers and ivory traffickers are two categories of desperate groups that works like drug barons. They are less concern about the safety of lives and properties of local populace, at such they could trigger any form of violence for their personal gain. However, conservation of wildlife species could create room for safeguarding wildlife by professionals and skilled rangers, through surveillance, poaching and anti-poaching patrol. Locals recruited, can protect the communal properties of the community from aggressors.
Elephants play a very essential roles in the bionetworks and these roles cannot be replace. Therefore, it is imperative to conserve Elephants. You may help to conserve Elephant by making donation to promote conservation of their habitat. Apart from that, do not buy or sell ivory or other wild animal products. Study Elephant and their habitat coupled with their contribution to the ecosystem as keystone species. You may pay a visit to Elephant in wild to promote economy of local populace in communities where they exist through tourism. Teach young people about Elephant and how to treat elephant with respect and dignity
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