Why are Sumatran elephants being killed?
Why are Sumatran elephants being killed?
“[This decline] is largely due to habitat loss and as a result human-elephant conflict. Sumatra has experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation within the Asian elephant’s range, which has resulted in local extinctions of elephants in many areas,” according to WWF.
Why do humans hunt Sumatran elephants?
Elephants are hunted for their ivory tusks. Although there are bans against poaching, it remains a threat specifically to male Sumatran elephants. Deforestation and development also play a substantial role in the decline of the Sumatran elephant population.
Why are Sumatran elephants poached?
According to Wildlife Conservation Society, the decline in the number of the elephants, which mostly populated the lowland forest of Sumatra in province of Riau, West Sumatra, and Lampung, is mainly due to poaching for their ivory tusks, depletions of their natural habitat because of encroachment of oil palm …
Are Sumatran elephants being poached?
Although the act of hunting elephants was banned in Indonesia in 1931 and the species of the Sumatran elephant is protected under Indonesian law, poaching nonetheless remains as a threat to the conservation of Sumatran Elephants.
Do elephants sleep lying down or standing up?
In captivity, elephants spend much of their time asleep lying down, but they also sometimes sleep standing. With combined data from the gyroscope and the activity meter we found that wild elephants mostly slept standing up.
Is the Sumatran elephant on the endangered list?
The Sumatran elephant ( Elephas maximus sumatranus) is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to the Indonesia island of Sumatra. In 2011, IUCN upgraded the conservation status of the Sumatran elephant from endangered to critically endangered in its Red List as…
How big is the Elephas maximus Sumatran elephant?
Facts 1 CR Status Critically Endangered 2 Population 2,400 – 2,800 3 Scientific Name Elephas maximus sumatranus 4 Height 5-9 feet at the shoulder 5 Weight approximately 5 tons 6 Length up to 20 feet 7 Habitats Broadleaf moist tropical forests
How much does a Sumatran elephant eat a day?
As herbivores, these noble animals spend their days munching on 150kg of plants as seeds as they move through the forests. That’s the weight of two entire male humans in plants… every day! Do they need to worry about predators in Sumatra?
Is the Elephas maximus elephant extinct in Indonesia?
Conservationists think that Sumatran elephants may become extinct in less than ten years if poaching is not stopped. Elephas maximus is listed on CITES Appendix I. Sumatran elephants are protected under Indonesia law. In 2004, the Tesso Nilo National Park has been established in Riau Province to protect the Sumatran elephant’s habitat.
