Rescuing Earth’s Majestic Giants
By Caitlin Olson
Senior Animal Care Professional, ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Approximately eight billion people inhabit the Earth. There once was a time when there were over ten million elephants roaming the planet- a combination of both African and Asian- but today there are only a few hundred thousand. As our human population continues to grow, the elephant population is declining. We must remember that long before you and I were born, Earth was home to millions of species and living landscapes like waterfalls, oceans, and mountain ranges.
We are taught that using a paper straw is saving the oceans, and not using single use plastic is helping to reduce our carbon footprint. These things may be true and may be making a slight ripple in the bigger picture of saving our planet, but we need to learn how to grow in a sustainable way. Communities in developing countries want to grow and improve their lives, but while doing so, often encroach on the lands where elephants live and roam. In the last century as nations tried to fight for freedom in Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand, thousands of landmines were left behind that are still affecting elephants living in those countries. We talk about poaching as if it was a thing of the past, but it is still very much an ongoing problem in our society. Maybe focusing on paper straws is the wrong approach. We may need to shift our attention to the bigger picture and how we can protect a population that is on the path to extinction, even though we are the ones causing it to happen.

Wild places like forest and savannah habitats found in Africa and Asia are dependent on elephants. The seeds of many plants pass through elephants’ digestive tract and are distributed along with natural fertilizer as elephants walk and migrate. Though it may seem destructive, elephants can also create clearings and pathways for other animals to pass through and space for new forest growth. In this way, elephants are considered ecosystem engineers. As ecosystem engineers they help maintain the ecosystem where they live, and in some cases, that ecosystem would not be able to survive without them.

Not only do elephants bring so much importance and significance to their environment, but they also bring so much joy and wonder to those who study them, those who are able to watch them on safari, those who visit them at their local zoo, and to those who grew up wanting to work with them and achieved their childhood dream (like me). Elephants carry a poise and grace about them that captivates people’s hearts and minds. It’s that fascination and admiration that inspires people to take action to save elephants from extinction.

It can seem overwhelming to look at the global environmental challenges that the Earth is facing. It can seem like at times that only big solutions will solve these big problems, but there are so many things that we can do here at home that will contribute to the big picture. Everyone can become informed about environmental issues. Education is the first step in tackling any problem, so informing yourself about pollution, habitat loss, and other environmental issues is something accessible to all of us. Choosing sustainable products that avoid the use of palm oil is another easy action. Did you know that palm oil is a major driver of deforestation and the destruction of elephant habitat, and it’s used in everything from ice cream and chocolate to bread to shampoo? Less demand for those products means less pressure on habitat. You can also protect your own habitat by recycling and planting native trees and plants in your hometown. These are a few simple things we can all do that will make a big impact. We have to remember that if we all choose to do one simple, positive action, it will eventually lead to an entire change in our environment.

As we continue to post pictures on social media of beautiful landscapes we have seen, or participate in local beach clean ups to “do our part,” we need to start thinking of long-term solutions to be better stewards of our Earth. We want all species, both here in our own backyard, and all the way across the world in the African Savannah and forests of Asia, to be here for centuries to come.