Elephants require a lot of space. They need space to find enough food to eat – lots of grasses, trees and shrubs. They also need a good supply of water to drink and to bathe in. They often have to travel many miles to find the food and water they need to survive.
Because elephants are so large, they have no real enemies, except for humans. People have killed elephants for their ivory tusks. The ivory trade was responsible for taking the lives of many elephants in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989, a group of 115 countries got together and formed the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (or CITES). The sale of ivory was banned and the rate of hunting has gone down.
Elephants are very intelligent animals. They have a gentle personality and are very sensitive. I have learned a lot about elephants by putting this study together for you. I hope you have grown to love and appreciate elephants as I have. Since I can't go to Africa and see elephants in the wild, I look forward to my next trip to the zoo!
