Young Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Okavango Delta

Botswana

Moremi Game Reserve

 

Botswana has the largest elephant population on the continent due to tight protection and civil unrest in neighboring countries. The relative difficulty in accessing the wildlife areas coupled with the military threat to poachers has allowed the elephant population in Botswana to grow.

 

Elephants are mammals of the family Elephantidae and the largest existing land animals. Three species are currently recognized: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; extinct members include the mastodons.

 

Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia and are found in different habitats, including savannahs, forests, deserts, and marshes. They are herbivorous, and they stay near water when it is accessible. They are keystone species, due to their impact on their environments.

 

African elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. Wikipedia

 

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