Forest Elephants in Central Africa are in grave danger - Help Save them from Extinction now

Forest Elephant Herds in Central Africa are Invaluable Wild Denizens : An Indepth Analysis on Them

Before, I begin I would like to say that Priceless Forest Elephants in Central Africa who are our precious friends are more invaluable than all the Gold, Diamonds, Silver, and Precious Stones put together.

Introduction: Forest Elephant Herds are invaluable to us in terms of 'Biodiversity' as they are the 'Flagship Species' in a number of countries in and around Central Africa.

We need to understand that saving 'Forest Elephant Herds' is more imperative than ever in 2010. I say that only because these Precious Elephants who live primarily in Central Africa have lived in obscurity for decades, where not much is known about forest elephant society and their day to day activities till now.

We cannot let 'Forest Elephants' get slaughtered en masse and most likely to extinction all because of 'Man's Greed for Ivory'.

It is important for us to realize that these 'Gentle Giants' of Planet Earth and of Central Africa have a unique culture and society of their own and in many ways much better than 'Human Society'.

It is a well known fact,borne out of years of research by Jungle Tough Biologist namely Dr. Andrea Turkalo that Forest Elephant Herds' are extremely affectionate and that they are directed by memories, experience, and vast knowledge of their elders namely awesome 'Matriarchs' who guide their herds through thick and thin as life presents itself to them.

Most Importantly, we need to know how 'Forest Elephants' function as a family unit. If they are slaughtered like nobody's business by vile poachers from North Africa or the Horn of Africa we will never know anything about them or about their priceless lives which were hidden for years in dense tropical rainforests of Central Africa.

It is a well known fact that Forest Elephants like 'Savanna' Elephant Herds in East Africa and in South West Africa help wounded elephants within the herd with their trunks and shoulders and also stay with these wounded 'pachyderms' when they can no longer walk by performing an important duty namely bringing them food sometimes from distant places.

It has also been documented over the past 10 years by wildlife biologists living in the Congo that 'forest elephants' much like savanna elephants stay with dead members of the herd and take part in a ritual what some may call 'An Elephant Wake'.

Saving Forest Elephants is Important:

Forest Elephants need to be saved and protected as if there was no tomorrow. Since, we know very little about their invaluable lives - protecting them in countries such as Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo is of 'massive significance' now in 2010.

Since 'Forest Elephant Herds' play a key role in spreading biological diversity when they forage for food within tropical rainforests in Central Africa - it is essential that Global Wildlife Conservationists get their act together to save Forest Elephants for posterity and for future generations to come.

It is not only the objective and goal of 'Wild Elephant Conservationists' to save forest elephants from 'Mass Slaughter' at the hands of vile Sudanese and Somali Poachers but more importantly it is the goal of all wildlife conservationists to unite to save these 'priceless forest elephant herds'.

Dr. Andrea Turkalo has been pointing out for quite some time that 'Forest Elephant Herds' have highly organized social lives centered around fantastic matriarchs that are 'Leaders' of various Elephant Families as has been observed by Dr. Turkalo at Dzanga Bai in the Central African Republic.

Therefore, saving these forest elephants who do not have good eyesight is of utmost importance now. It has been documented by Dr. Turkalo and others how forest elephants communicate with each other in the absence of good eyesight.

From Birth, forest elephants use their trunks to touch each other and communicate within their herd in more ways than one. With the number of Forest Elephants, Dr. Turkalo has counted, observed, and identified, it is no wonder she calls Dzanga Bai located in the Dzanga- Ndoki National Park heavenly.

It has to be heavenly from the perspective of any 'Global Wild Elephant Lover' whether that individual is a wildlife biologist like Dr. Andrea Turkalo or a budding 'International Wildlife Writer' like me.

That is probably the reason why Dr. Turkalo calls 'Dzanga Bai' a miracle in more ways than one. But to keep Dzanga Bai as a 'Miracle' for forest elephants we need to practice 'zero tolerance' against vile sudanese and somali poacher gangs who slaughter these helpless and hapless forest elephants all across Central Africa.

Conclusion:

If we are truly serious about protecting Central Africa's biggest tuskers specially in Gabon where 'Big Tusked Forest Elephants' have numerous hideouts in addition to some more in the Central African Republic and in the Republic of Congo respectively;then it is essential that we act today leaving nothing for tomorrow to do otherwise vile poachers may beat us to the race in protecting these invaluable pachyderms in Central Africa.

I fervently hope that some 'Wild Elephant International' Foundation will take keen notice of my objective to live among forest elephant herds in central africa as soon as possible and more importantly realize my intention to write a 'Unique' Coffee-Tabler in 2010 while living among these gorgeous forest elephant herds in Minkebe National Park in Gabon.

Taking a look at some figures with regard to the 'mass slaughter'of Forest Elephants in the Democratic Republic of Congo - one can definitely say that organized poacher gangs are on a killing spree in more ways than one.

For Example -- there were more than 60,000 Forest Elephants in the DRC in 1990 but today there are only 10,000 - 15,000 at the most.

Finally, in my humble opinion all gorgeous forest elephant herds are more invaluable to me than all the diamonds and gold in the world and they should be to any 'Global Wild Elephant Lover'.

That is why, I pray and hope I will be sponsored by any 'Wild Elephant International Foundation' in 2010 - The Year of International Biodiversity to live out my 'Sole Purpose' of living in Gabon in Central Africa among these priceless forest elephant herds by way of documenting their lives in a 'Unique Coffee - Tabler'.

It has always been my sole purpose to live for Forest Elephant Herds and among them ever since i got to know about them.

Book References and Credits:

1. Saving Africa's Eden Page 50 by David Quammen. Photographs by Michael Nichols. National Geographic Magazine September 2003

2. Forest Elephants Page 100 by Michael Fay and Michael Nichols February 1999 National Geographic Magazine February 1999.

3. Elephants- Out of Time, Out of Space Page 2 by Douglas H. Chadwick National Geographic Magazine May 1991.

Internet Links :

Wise African Elephants learn to avoid roads

Welcome to a Special Blog on Forest Elephant Herds

Many of you may ask me, why another blog on 'Wild Elephant Herds'. Well,  'Forest Elephant Herds' who live in Central Africa have a special place in my heart 'ONLY' because they have just been discovered by wildlife biologists working in the Congo River Basin and are facing immense danger from vile poacher gangs who are mercilessly slaughtering them en masse.

For years, they have lived hidden mysterious lives within deep inaccessible forests in Central Africa and till they were discovered a few decades back it was safely assumed that all wild elephant herds in Africa were the same.

Now, we know that there are 2 species of wild elephants that live in Africa namely Savanna Elephant Herds who live in East Africa and South- West Africa respectively and Forest Elephants who live primarily in forests in Central Africa.

Forest Elephant Herds in Central Africa are unique wild elephants in more ways than one. They are shorter in stature than Savanna Elephant Herds and have bad eyesight as compared to Savanna Elephant Herds. They also live in smaller herds than savanna elephant herds.

Wildlife Research about their fantastic 'family life' and day to day activities is happening even at this very moment specially in the Central African Republic as well as in Gabon.

Wildlife Conservation Society - New York has been responsible for groundbreaking research among Forest Elephants since the 1990's solely through the efforts of Dr. Andrea Turkalo - a jungle tough biologist who has been living among forest elephants in Central Africa for the past 20 years where she has been documenting their precious lives on a daily and monthly basis.

Additionally, Dr. Mike Fay who is now the 'Resident Wildlife Biologist' with the National Geographic Society has been responsible for creating massive awareness about forest elephants in the Western World and has also been instrumental in saving countless lives of forest elephants in a number of countries in Central Africa.

Finally, if anyone has any videos and blogs to share on Forest Elephants I would be happy to host them at this Special Blog.