THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT- LOST IN TRADE The Loxodonta Africana, more commonly known as the African elephant, are the largest animals currently walking the earth. Weighing an immense 6 tons, the African elephant’s distinct features like the long trunk, the huge ears and strong tusks help them adapt to their surroundings. They are usually found in Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests, Flooded Grasslands and Savannahs, Miombo woodlands, Acacia savannahs . These magnificent creatures affect their ecosystem in numerous ways through their mass translocation and humongous size. Some examples are- · The African elephants feed on a range of vegetation from grasses to trees and forage over large areas. This makes them excellent seed dispersers, depositing seed-laden dung as they travel. · Their dung helps fertilize seedlings and enrich the soil with nutrients, thus supporting plant and tree renewal across the elephants’ range. T...
The Black Rhino The black rhinoceros or the black rhino or hook-lipped rhinoceros is part of the Diceros bicornis genus. Black Rhinos- a browser that consumes significant roughage, like the thorny branches of acacia or fleshy plants like euphorbia-has a pointed lip that helps them feed on leaves from bushes and trees. These mammals are indigenous to eastern and southern Africa. Rhinos are a crucial entity to the ecosystem and their importance has been less than undermined. At the beginning of the 20th century, 500,000 rhinos roamed Africa and Asia. By 1970, rhino numbers dropped to 70,000, and today, around 27,000 rhinos remain in the wild. These animals were meant to be roaming on land freely without the interference of human lives and their malpractices. However, to protect these jewels of the animal kingdom they are not caged off into zoos being robbed of their freedom. So, how do Rhinos contribute to the ecosystem? Geo-forming – fundamentally ...