Save the Elephants

Bronze Elephant Statue

Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), African elephants are listed as threatened, which means they are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range. Asian elephants are listed as endangered, which means they in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range.

Our friends at DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE have graciously given their permission for us to share this vital information about the plight of Elephants and their ADOPT AN ELEPHANT program. Your donation supports DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE work to ensure that elephants remain protected under the Endangered Species Act and other international laws and treaties, and their efforts to educate the public about the threats these amazing animals face.  If you would like to make a donation to the DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE Adopt an Elephant program please see the link at the bottom of this blog. If you are interested in purchasing a bronze elephant replica statue for a mascot, zoo, restaurant or wildlife park click our link at the bottom of this blog. Bronze-Depot.com will make a donation from the sale of each elephant statue or fountain to ADOPT AN ELEPHANT.

As you read this, an African elephant lies dying – yet another victim of a poacher’s rifle. Her ivory tusks will be hacked off her still-warm body to fuel an illegal international ivory trade worth millions of dollars. As you read this, an African elephant lies dying – yet another victim of a poacher’s rifle. Her ivory tusks will be hacked off her still-warm body to fuel an illegal international ivory trade worth millions of dollars. This is the gruesome reality behind the illegal ivory trade – but you can help stop it. Between 2010 and 2012, poachers slaughtered an estimated 100,000 elephants for their ivory. That’s roughly one elephant butchered every 15 minutes.
The United States is the second largest consumer of illegal ivory in the world.

  • Keep the pressure on the White House to follow through on plans to end the domestic trade in ivory; 
  • Mobilize against Congressional efforts to weaken ivory import, export and sale restrictions;
  • At the grassroots level, help enact state-wide ivory bans in key consuming states;
  • Ensure U.S. conservation leadership at international wildlife fora such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species;
  • Keep the pressure on the White House to follow through on plans to end the domestic trade in ivory; 
  • Mobilize against Congressional efforts to weaken ivory import, export and sale restrictions;
  • At the grassroots level, help enact state-wide ivory bans in key consuming states; and 
  • Ensure U.S. conservation leadership at international wildlife fora such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. 
    As America’s leading voice for imperiled wildlife, Defenders has a critical role to play in stopping the deadly scourge of elephant poaching by shutting down illegal ivory trafficking into and within the United States. And it’s not just elephants – illegal international trade in wildlife is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Tigers, rhinos and sea turtles are also being decimated to fuel these illicit markets. Elephants were once hunted to near extinction by ivory poachers, and are still being illegally hunted. As their habitat shrinks and the value of their ivory rises rapidly, the threat of extinction is growing. Between 2010 and 2012, poachers killed an estimated 100,000 elephants for their ivory. That’s roughly one elephant killed every 15 minutes! Elephants are also facing severe habitat loss, and many climate change projections indicate that key portions of elephant habitat will become significantly hotter and drier, resulting in poorer foraging conditions and threatening calf survival.

Your adoption supports Defenders work to stop poaching and illegal wildlife trade by ensuring that important international trade prohibitions are enforced. It will also help us mobilize against any Congressional efforts to weaken restrictions on the import, export, or sale of ivory, and work to achieve a complete ban on its trade or sale.

Habitat loss is one of the key threats facing Eelephants. Many climate change projections indicate that key portions of elephants’ habitat will become significantly hotter and drier, resulting in poorer foraging conditions and threatening calf survival. Increasing conflict with human populations taking over more and more elephant habitat and poaching for ivory are additional threats that are placing the elephant’s future at risk.

Of the two species, African elephants are divided into two subspecies (savannah and forest), while the Asian elephant is divided into four subspecies (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumatran and Borneo). Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years – they have been domesticated and are used for religious festivals, transportation and to move heavy objects..

DIET: Staples: Grasses, leaves, bamboo, bark, roots. Elephants are also known to eat crops like banana and sugarcane which are grown by farmers. Adult elephants eat 300-400 lbs of food per day.

POPULATION: At the turn of the 20th century, there were a few million African elephants and about 100,000 Asian elephants. Today, there are an estimated 450,000 – 700,000 African elephants and between 35,000 – 40,000 wild Asian elephants.

RANGE: African savannah elephants are found in savannah zones in 37 countries south of the Sahara Desert. African forest elephants inhabit the dense rainforests of west and central Africa. The Asian elephant is found in India, Sri Lanka, China and much of Southeast Asia.

BEHAVIOR: Elephants form deep family bonds and live in tight matriarchal family groups of related females called a herd. The herd is led by the oldest and often largest female in the herd, called a matriarch. Herds consist of 8-100 individuals depending on terrain and family size. When a calf is born, it is raised and protected by the whole matriarchal herd. Males leave the family unit between the ages of 12-15 and may lead solitary lives or live temporarily with other males. Elephants are extremely intelligent animals and have memories that span many years. It is this memory that serves matriarchs well during dry seasons when they need to guide their herds, sometimes for tens of miles, to watering holes that they remember from the past. They also display signs of grief, joy, anger, and play. Recent discoveries have shown that elephants can communicate over long distances by producing a sub-sonic rumble that can travel over the ground faster than sound through air. Other elephants receive the messages through the sensitive skin on their feet and trunks. It is believed that this is how potential mates and social groups communicate.

Height: 5-14 ft at shoulders (males); females of all subspecies are smaller than males.
Length: Up to 30 ft trunk to tail.
Weight: 6,000-15,000 lbs (males).
Lifespan Up to 70 years.

REPRODUCTION: Mating Season: Mostly during the rainy season.
Gestation: 22 months.

Litter size: 1 calf (twins rare). Calves weigh between 200-250 lbs at birth. At birth, a calf’s trunk has no muscle tone, therefore it will suckle through its mouth. It takes several months for a calf to gain full control of its trunk.