Elephant Rescue: Changing the Future for Endangered Wildlife (Firefly Animal Rescue) - Softcover

Morgan, Jody

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1552975940 ISBN 13: 9781552975947

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2004

Synopsis

From the book:
"I just want to make sure there are elephants around for generations to enjoy, like I have."

In 1979, the African elephant population was 1.3 million. By 1989 that total dropped dramatically to 609,000. During the 1980s, poachers killed some three hundred elephants a day. Although active measures were soon enforced to protect African and Asian elephant populations, the elephant's future is still uncertain.

Elephant Rescue traces the efforts of individuals and organizations that confront the international ivory trade and lobby indigenous governments to create protective environments. One innovative program described is green hunting. Sport hunters who once shot and killed elephants are now given the opportunity to use tranquilizers. The animal suffers no harm and accompanying researchers can fit these elephants with a radio collar for further studies.

The book also covers:

• How elephants live
• Ways elephants protect their families
• Elephants' astonishingly intricate behavior
• Physiology, life span, diet and more.

Elephant Rescue is a fascinating book about how people and elephants can thrive in a shared environment.

About the Firefly Animal Rescue series:

The Firefly Animal Rescue identifies endangered and threatened species and what is being done to protect them. Combining lively, accessible text and stunning color photographs, each book provides a detailed overview of the species, describing its characteristics, behavior, habits, physiology and more.

"These attractive books are a call to action... fascinating readable accounts."
- School Library Journal

"Succinct introductions to the science and practice of wildlife conservation... written in accessible, lively language."
- Booklist

About this title

About the Author

Jody Morgan is a biologist, writer and editor. Her work appears in many magazines including Harrowsmith and Equinox. She was the project editor for the book Mammals of North America.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Gentle Giant

If the tiger is the spirit of the jungle," says researcher Raman Sukumar, "the elephant is its body -- large, majestic, making its presence felt with authority."

In some cultures, the elephant is treated as royalty or worshipped as a god. Yet through the centuries people have hunted them for their meat and ivory, harnessed them to pull logs out of the forest, even forced them to fight in wars. Growing human populations have destroyed most of the animal's territory and continue to compete for what's left.

Weighing up to 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg) and standing as tall as 13 feet (4 m), elephants are the largest of the land mammals. They are members of a group called Proboscidea, named for their most distinguishing feature: the proboscis, or trunk. Millions of years ago, over 350 species roamed every continent except Antarctica and Australia. The sole survivors are the African elephants (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). Strangely, their closest relative is the hyrax, a small, tailless mammal that looks like an overgrown guinea pig. They're also related to sea cows (manatees and dugongs) and aardvarks.

In 1979, there were some 1.3 million elephants in Africa. By 1989, only 609,000 remained. That year, the world agreed to a total ban on the ivory trade, but the most recent tally suggests that their numbers have still not recovered, and may even be declining. The number of wild Asian elephants has also dropped dramatically in the past 50 years; only 36,000 to 44,000 remain in the wild.

Today, devoted conservationists and scientists are working to find new ways for people and elephants to live together.

Edition details

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1552975940
• ISBN 13: 9781552975947
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 64