Sustainability

E.P.I.C. SUSTAINABILITY

 e beast which passeth all others in wit and mind.

ARISTOTLE

Spring is in full force, and with it, spring cleaning. We’re throwing the windows open, dusting off dressers, and revisiting seemingly endless piles of “stuff ” stowed away for winter. Sometimes this can feel insurmountable, too. Elephants have long inspired and fascinated us. Now their populations are on the decline from a number of threats including poaching, habitat loss and climate change. Elephants are critically endangered. Their numbers have decreased signifi cantly; in a little over half a century the African elephant population has gone from 5 to 10 million to under 500,000. Similarly, Asian elephants have undergone a dramatic population decline from 200,000 to just 40,000. The Sumatran elephant population has now plummeted to less than 2500. Elephants play an integral part in maintaining ecosystem biodiversity. African elephants dig for water with their tusks, which, during the dry season, benefi ts other species in the ecosystem who also need a water source. They are important to maintaining new plant growth by spreading seeds through their dung. They create gaps in plant growth where they feed, which allows room for new vegetation. As they move in search of food they also fl atten dense grasslands, creating paths for smaller animals. As important as they are to ecosystems they inhabit, our fascination is likely because of the intelligence level they display. Elephants are among the most intelligent creatures on earth. An elephant’s brain weighs almost 5 kilograms, with a highly convoluted neocortex, similar to humans, and

a sophisticated hippocampus as well. Elephants possess complex consciousness and are able to express emotions. Their range of emotions includes joy, playfulness, grief and mourning. Their ability to mourn their dead is legendary, with burial ceremonies and even respect paid to skeletons in passing. Their well-developed hippocampi allow them to have emotional fl ashbacks, suggesting they can experience PostTraumatic Stress Disorder.

Elephants are able to learn new facts and behaviors, exhibiting complex problem solving skills. They can selfmedicate: pregnant mothers know what leaves to chew on to induce labor. Elephants can mimic sounds that they hear, play with a sense of humor, perform artistic activities, use tools and display compassion. They are self-aware; they are one of the few creatures in the animal kingdom, aside from humans, that can recognize themselves in the mirror. What part can we play in protecting these most intelligent of beasts? Support eff orts to stop the ivory trade, speak out against trophy hunting, protest the use of elephants as human entertainment (including zoos and circuses), and if you are lucky enough to travel where elephants live in the wild, only travel with companies that are certifi ed as sustainable. Support conservation eff orts (there are many to choose from) and consider one of the adopt-an-elephant programs!

Sources: www.Scientifi cAmerican.com/article/are-elephant-populations-stable www.SaveTheElephants.org/about-elephants-2-3-2/importance-of-elephants www.ElephantsForever.co.za/elephant-intelligence.html?