The numbers http://iworry.org paint a grim picture for African elephants: http://www.care2.com/causes/african-elephant-extinction-nears-but-there-is-hope.html
One elephant is killed every 15 minutes (or 36,000 per year), and, at this rate, none will left roaming wild in 2025. But new research shows that these staggering statistics don't tell the whole story. Because numbers can't capture the African elephant's spirit of resiliency.
Life After Poaching
It's hard not to watch heartbreaking videos like the one below of a herd grieving a matriarch and not wonder, "How do they move on from such a loss?"
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TjtrdpSwEUY
Well, I'm very happy to report that they can and do move on, even in the most traumatic of circumstances. It's Stephen …show more content…
Why Do Matriarchs Matter?
A large part of elephants' social resiliency comes from the matriarch. Here are a few reasons why matriarchs matter in elephant society, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/node/2842
-- Unlike males, females will stay with their families their whole lives. Females rear their calves alongside their mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts. The matriarch also helps out with some babysitting duties, also known as allomothering.
-- The matriarch is usually the oldest female in the group, and she decides: when/where the family eats; when they spend time with other elephants; when to lead the group away from danger since she's usually the best at responding to threats.
-- "[W]hen families have older matriarchs, every female in the family reproduces at a faster rate," and the families are
One elephant is killed every 15 minutes (or 36,000 per year), and, at this rate, none will left roaming wild in 2025. But new research shows that these staggering statistics don't tell the whole story. Because numbers can't capture the African elephant's spirit of resiliency.
Life After Poaching
It's hard not to watch heartbreaking videos like the one below of a herd grieving a matriarch and not wonder, "How do they move on from such a loss?"
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TjtrdpSwEUY
Well, I'm very happy to report that they can and do move on, even in the most traumatic of circumstances. It's Stephen …show more content…
Why Do Matriarchs Matter?
A large part of elephants' social resiliency comes from the matriarch. Here are a few reasons why matriarchs matter in elephant society, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/node/2842
-- Unlike males, females will stay with their families their whole lives. Females rear their calves alongside their mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts. The matriarch also helps out with some babysitting duties, also known as allomothering.
-- The matriarch is usually the oldest female in the group, and she decides: when/where the family eats; when they spend time with other elephants; when to lead the group away from danger since she's usually the best at responding to threats.
-- "[W]hen families have older matriarchs, every female in the family reproduces at a faster rate," and the families are