| Elephant conservationists are concerned with helping | | | | Elephants also don't have enough space to live happy |
| elephants through this difficult time in history. Due to | | | | lives when they are in captivity. They are used to |
| many developments that have taken place in the last | | | | roaming in the wild and putting them in captivity |
| several years, elephants are in danger of losing their | | | | takes away that freedom. |
| habitats. Other elephants are abused and mistreated | | | | The Ivory Trade |
| in captivity. Still others are losing their lives due to the | | | | The value of ivory means that elephants die |
| ivory trade. The goal of elephant conservation is to | | | | needlessly just so their tusks can be harvested and |
| protect elephants so that they continue to live in the | | | | used to make figurines, jewelry, and other ivory |
| wild as majestic animals instead of having to become | | | | items. This reduces the elephant population and it also |
| extinct or live in small pens that don't give them | | | | causes problems for the surviving elephants. Because |
| enough room to move around. Understanding why | | | | elephants travel together in groups, the remaining |
| this problem is so serious and how it got this way is | | | | elephants miss elephants that were killed for their |
| the first step to understanding why elephant | | | | tusks when they are no longer members of the |
| conservation is so important. | | | | group. Not only is the ivory trade hurting the |
| Habitat Reduction | | | | elephants that are losing their lives; it's running the |
| Elephants are currently experiencing a reduction in the | | | | lives of surviving elephants that have come to love |
| size of their natural habitat. Elephants used to be able | | | | their group members. |
| to roam freely across their migratory paths and | | | | Orphaned Calves |
| enjoy a lot of dense vegetation. With forestry and | | | | Some elephant calves become orphaned because |
| other industrial activities taking over in these areas, | | | | their mothers die due to injuries or accidents. When |
| the paths that elephants have traveled for years | | | | these calves are orphaned, they may be too young |
| have been cut down and the sources of vegetation | | | | to find food on their own, so they need people to |
| along these paths have been destroyed. Instead of | | | | be involved in elephant conservation so they have an |
| being able to roam freely, elephants are forced into | | | | orphanage to go to until they are big enough to |
| small spaces that aren't big enough to meet their | | | | survive on their own. These orphanages provide |
| needs for grazing and migrating. | | | | shelter and food for the babies and volunteers bathe |
| Abuse in Captivity | | | | them and take care of their medical needs to keep |
| Many elephants are put into the captivity for the | | | | them healthy. |
| entertainment or amusement of humans. Some of | | | | Elephant conservation is much needed in the world |
| these elephants are treated well; others are not so | | | | today. Only with proper conservation will the elephant |
| lucky. Some elephant owners mistreat their animals | | | | be able to keep its place as one of the most |
| to try to get them to perform in a certain way. | | | | majestic animals in Asia and Africa. |
