Did you know that elephants have a Matriarchal society? Yes, they do!
The herd is led by a Matriarch, the oldest and largest female elephant among the families of the elephants that live together.
The Matriarch guides the herd in caring for their young, searching for food, and finding solutions when it comes to the herd’s safety.
When the Matriarch elephant dies, her oldest daughter assumes the role for the herd.
If you are wondering where the male elephants go once they reach adolescence, the male elephants leave the herd to join a group of bachelor elephants who are in conquest to find a mate.
Both genders in African elephants have tusks, but there is a very small percentage of elephants born without tusks.
These tuskless elephants passed down their genes to their daughters who will produce tuskless offspring.
I have read an article in a Smithsonian Magazine, “While no longer having ivory tusks may save elephants from poaching, the genetic mutation responsible for eliminating tusks is lethal to elephants.” reports Elizabeth Preston for the New York Times.
In conservation.org, Megan Lynch wrote “Four Important Things You Did Not Know Elephants Do For You.”
- Elephants plant trees and fight climate change by keeping the forest healthy.
- Protecting the elephant increase the security for the locals. This translate to the safety of the communities against the violence they endure from poachers or hunters.
- Elephants support other species because protecting their habitat helps in saving other species’ habitat too.
- They are tourist attractions which means they help the country’s economy.
After learning what the elephants can do for us, I would like to ask you, “What can a piece of ivory do for you?”
Poem written by Salvacion Roselle Reyes
Photo credit: Adobe Creative Cloud Express.