Advocacy Project
This page shows how my Advocacy Project (AP) draft works. Advocacy project is facing scholarly audience. It is base on HCP draft. Advocacy project includes reviewing literature, asking philosophical or ethical questions, defining a political or social or cultural problem, and advocating solutions. For my AP draft, I decided to write about elephants and their problem about extinction. My purpose of Advocacy Project is describe ivory trade, elephants abuse and enslavement, which are the problems lead to the extinction of elephants, and advocate the solutions of the problem.
Click it to see my draft
What Leads to the Extinction of Elephants
Introduction
Elephants are regarded as the most intelligent and long-living animals which also, developed head, long life, and good memory making them have colorful social lives. The leader of elephants is female. Elephant moms take care of their baby and other adult females in the group will also help to take care of the baby elephant. The video from YouTube, Mother Elephant Defends Her Baby From Two Hippo | Elephants rescue Elephants from Animal Attack, shows that mother elephant and other female elephants protect their baby elephants from dangers like hippo and crocodiles’ attack. Dangers from other predators such as hippo and crocodiles lay no exception. The tusks attack the enemy while the long nose rolls enemies to their death. Although they operate in herds, the one with the most experience leads them and ought to be an adult female elephant. According to Carl Safina’s book, Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel, the extensive experience is vital as a survival mechanism in the wilderness (Safina, 2015). This species of animals is intriguing to study.
uploaded by Alan Fogarty, 10 January 2018
Elephants population level and clan level are affected by seasonal variation. The seasonality variation influences group size and social organization of female Asian elephant and also affects the grasses that elephants eat (Nandini). The researchers Joshua M. Plotnik, Frans B. M. de Waal, and Diana Reiss found three Asian elephants to do the mirror self-recognition research. They mark in each elephant and leave a large mirror in the place where elephants could see and found that elephants have self-recognition like apes and dolphin (Plotnik). The three studies reviewed in this essay help us to better to understand the complexity of elephants by analyzing their cognition, social structure, and communication.
Social Structure
According to Nandini, Keerthipriya, and Vidya’s research "Seasonal Variation in Female Asian Elephant Social Structure in Nagarahole-Bandipur, Southern India", the cohesion of matriarchal elephant herds is guaranteed by the authority of female leaders and cooperation among elephants. Besides, the cohesiveness of elephant herds is assured due to the fission-fusion dynamics (Nandini, Keerthipriya, & Vidya, 136). The competition for food and water between members of herds is regulated because the group is able to unite and distribute supplies evenly among group members. The herd survival that is based on the matriarchal rule and group cohesion pertaining Asian elephants have been studied to figure out the seasonal shifts that elephant herds carry out every year.
The methodology for this research was an observation of elephant herds in the rainforest and savannah areas. Because of this habitat, the seasonal migrations are needed due to the continually changing living conditions. Observations of elephant herds dynamics suggest that ecological factors influence group sizes and availability of resources (Wittemyer, 1364). The data regarding group dynamics and population of Asian elephants was collected in the Nagarahole National Park and Tiger Reserve in India. Both the reserve and national park are rainfalls areas, so the seasonal movements of herds were depicted in detail by the researchers. According to the results of the research, the herd size during the dry season was more extensive than the herd size of the wet season. During the dry season, the approximate number of group members was 18 females compared to 14 females during the wet season (Nandini, Keerthipriya, & Vidya, 139). Besides, the seasonal variations influenced the availability and variety of grass that elephants eat. It can be concluded that wet seasons and deficit of grass during certain period influence the group size of elephant herds. However, the maternal leadership and cooperation among group members did not alter the overall number of group members. The social structure of elephants remains coherent and cooperative regardless of pressure from seasonal weather shifts.
Cognition
The fission-fusion dynamics and survival capabilities of elephant herds are caused by the high level of cognition and learning abilities of elephants. The highly developed cognitive abilities of elephants were discovered during a large number of studies over the last fifty years. At first, scientists discovered the deep level of cooperation displayed by elephants. The ability to emphasize and help each other attracted the attention of researchers. The subsequent studies focused on learning abilities of elephants. For instance, the study “Self-recognition in an Asian elephant” done by Plotnik, Wall, and Reiss delves into the versatility of elephant’s cognitive abilities.
Plotnick, Wall, and Reiss’s goal was to examine the self-recognition that elephants display by observing their behavior in front of a mirror. The research evaluated four various criteria unaccustomed to the majority of animal species social response, reaction to the mirror image, repetitive mirror-testing behavior, and self-directed behavior (Plotnik et al., 1). For the study, three elephants were taken, which helped to better study their behavior and reaction to themselves. The results show that elephants have a significant interest in their mirror reflection. Three studied subjects were not scared of their reflection nor aggressive towards the mirror. On the contrary, they understood that it was their image and tried to look behind the mirror to be convinced of their thoughts. In addition, all three elephants were able to understand that the mirror projects reversed images and touched the mark left on their head on the correct side. Plotnick, Wall, and Reiss conclude that elephants are aware of their surroundings and can adapt to the changes in the environment that elephants are aware of their surroundings and can adapt to the changes in the environment without acting violent and aggressive.
Besides high self-recognition. Elephants display the wide variety of mental capacities. For example, elephants have amazing abilities to remember. Their incredible memory gave rise to the expression “an elephant never forgets.” Multiple studies have shown that elephants can memorize faces of people and various images (Safina, 17). Elephants can recognize the surroundings which they inhabit years before. Furthermore, elephants are very good at using tools. Older members of the herd teach their babies how to use sticks to drive away flies from their bodies, and also use parts of vegetation to scratch their bodies (Safina, 25).
Communication
According to the study “The Communication Techniques of Elephants” done by Tobias Fischer, and Lara Cory, the communication methods of elephants exceed almost any communicative skills displayed by other animal species. Etiquette is an integral part of the elephant society. Their trunk can be used for greeting, showing affection, hugging, and asking for the initiation of sexual intercourses. People documented and recorded countless instances of deaths among elephants during the process of defending their brethren. Furthermore, elephants bear deep connection and care for their herd members. The mother elephant will defend its child to the death in the case of danger. As can be seen in the online video that depicts the fight between a mother elephant and two hippos, elephants will not abandon their children (Fogarty). Outside showing care for their brethren elephants display gratitude also for people who treat them with respect.
The study was done by Cory and Fischer document the instance of endless respect elephants manifested towards one of the keepers of conservation park who protected local elephants. After his death elephants again showed their etiquette by mourning the death of their friend (Fischer & Cory). Elephants possess a wide spectrum of emotions such as grief, happiness, indignation, and anger. The broadcast of their emotions is achieved by their body movement and sounds. Elephants create different sounds that human ears are not able to catch due to their low-frequency. Elephants use these sounds to communicate with each other at great distances. Furthermore, studies of elephant’s communication discovered that elephants could mimic people’s gestures and use tools to convey their thoughts. In addition, the researchers noticed that the 23-year-old African elephant Kalimero, who lived with two Asian elephants for 18 years, spoke the language of Asian elephants. Unlike African elephants, Asian elephants use a chirping sound for communication.
Ivory
The high intelligence, loyalty towards human, and strong bodies of elephants attract not only scientists and nature security organizations but also poachers. The value of elephant’s tusk cannot be overstated as it is made of ivory. The large scale of illegal ivory trades is conditioned because trunks can be used as luxuries. The study “The US Elephant Ivory Market: A New Baseline” details that black markets throughout the world are filled with items made of ivory. The illegal ivory trade increased threefold since the end of the 1990s (Kramer at al., 25). The extermination of elephants initiated for the extraction of ivory has been regarded illegal in countries all over the world. Countries like China, UK, and the United States introduced policies to save elephants from poachers.
Circus
The other attractive sides of elephants which are their obedience and power made them slaves to circus owners. For years PETA fights for the right to release animals and elephants in particular from the circus shows. Elephants are held in captivity in circuses for more than fifty years (PETA). The attached infographic states that elephants that usually live for seventy years live only thirty years in captivity. Additionally, in circuses elephants are constantly chained, beaten, and yelled at. Elephants do not receive enough nutrition. They are being fed by unsuitable grass. Often elephants are kept lonely in circuses, and that only accelerates the process of the withering of elephants. Such horrific conditions promote animal cruelty and contradict with basic ethical norms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that elephants are one of the most intelligent creatures on the planet Earth that are capable of conveying high learning capacities, cognitive abilities, and communicative skills. The studies on the social structure of elephants show that elephants are herd animals that bear care for each other. Elephants can cooperate with each other and allocate food due to their intelligence. The cognition of elephants was observed during the mirror test. The self-recognition test illustrates that elephants rarely show signs of aggression or confusion but rather express friendliness, empathy, worry, and gratitude. Deep care of each other allows elephants to survive in harsh realities of the animal world. Moreover, advanced communicative abilities that are depicted through the varied use of trunk and sounds create endless possibilities for elephants to interact with people, other animals, and each other. However, such traits often make them victims of human violence and illegal trading. All in all, these studies show us about elephants’ cognition, social structure, and communication; these knowledge should change our perceptions about captive elephants and elephants hunting. The unique nature of elephants makes them similar to human beings and should only be studied and protected.
The extinction of elephants
Elephants all around the world are on the list of endangered species. The interaction between humans and elephants tends to be controversial as animals are killed by people due to various reasons. Individuals have made elephants the instrument of making a profit. Hunters kill elephants in order to get ivory. The statistics point the unfortunate results concerning elephants’ poaching rates. Due to the numerous reasons, the elephants are subjected to human violence which influences animals’ population.
Elephant Poaching
Elephants are natural habitats of Asian and African areas. The animals have always been the source of meat and ivory. Despite the fact that most people perceive them positively, there is still a particular segment of society which treats them violently. For instance, hunters poach elephants in order to get their ivories. These actions are illegal as lots of the animals’ representatives die during this act. The elephant ivory has always been the feature of exotic wealth and luxury. However, several decades ago the world organizations have forbidden to obtain the ivories from elephants for any purposes. The ban on international trade of ivories was implemented in 1989. However, the countless killings still take place all around the world. The statistics are still surprising. Starting from 1980, the specialists estimate enormous losses. According to the research results, more than “100,000 elephants were being killed per year and up to 80 percent of herds were lost in some regions” (“Threats to African Elephants”, par.3). The global illegal “ivory trade transactions remained as high as before, which could be down to a panic sell-off by traffickers as domestic bans come into place in key countries” (“Elephant Poaching” par.5). It is estimated that ivory-seeking hunters have murdered more than 100,000 African elephants for the last three years. These atrocious facts jeopardize the lives of the biggest mammals and bring them closer to extinction.
Elephant abuse
Another issue is elephant abuse. This can be noticed in most regions of the world. For instance, in Nepal, a practice exists, where the hotel owners keep the elephants on their areas in order to make high profits. The owners of the hotel offer the guests diverse amenities like day trips and elephant back safaris. Consequently, the sophisticated tourists want to have unusual experience and pay any money for that, therefore, neglecting the conditions of the animals. As a result, the owners get a generous financial benefit, and the animals get violent treatment in atrocious conditions. The elephants should “be available” for the tourists all day and night in order to provide rides to the forests and other areas. It is a common spread rumor that the reason for the elephants’ suffering is in mahouts. However, it is not all truth. The point is that the owners of the villages and hotels do not know the nature of elephants well and provide mahouts with everything. These people are not rude with the elephants as they demand more food and conditions for them. However, the owners of the hotels often refuse to meet the needs of their “live entertainment”. Moreover, the mahouts “are not provided even the most basic supplies to ensure the health and well-being of the elephants in their care” (“Elephant Abuse in Nepal”, par.13). Unfortunately, it can be noticed that people close to elephants can do nothing with this situation as mahouts are dictated to do the tasks without asking questions.
Enslavement
One more dangerous issue for the elephants’ lives is enslavement. The thing is that many circuses buy elephants in order to make gorgeous shows with the mammals. However, the backstage of circuses is terrible as there is no appropriate treatment for the elephants. These elephants are not regularly fed. Moreover, they suffer from regular trainers’ abuse. As a result, the “caged” elephants tend to live quite short lives and die from inadequate treatment and grueling training. The violence of the circus head comes to such level that elephants often die from cruelty and pain. For instance, elephant trainers’ equipment includes heavy chains, whips, and even electric prods. People do everything in order to make elephants obey. Most of the humanitarian circuses have abandoned the practice of exploiting elephants on stage as it appears to be irreparable harm to the mammal. Therefore, enslavement also leads to the extinction of elephants.
Conclusion
Summing all up, it can be concluded that the lives of elephants are jeopardized. Their population continues to fall every year because of several reasons. The most significant point of possible elephants’ extinction in future is poaching. The hunters cut the ivories from the elephants which also leads to the elephants’ deaths. The statistics amaze: more than 100,000 elephants die every three years. Moreover, the violent treatment in the “wild” hotels also negatively influences the population of the mammals. The most inadequate abuse done to the elephants is found in the circuses, where the trainers treat the elephants with horrible equipment. Nevertheless, the world organizations try to eliminate the abuse concerning elephants through education and moral norms. It is essential to realize that these elephants may soon disappear from the Earth. That is why people should re-estimate their treatment, and accept the challenge to help the elephants survive in needful conditions.
Solution about the Extinction of Elephants
The problem of extinction of elephants is very acute in the modern world. Experts predict that elephants may disappear from the face of the earth, as the scale of poaching in recent years is higher than the birth rate of these animals (Telegraph.co.uk, 2008). It is known that the main reasons for the extinction of elephants are poaching and the sale of ivory (Telegraph.co.uk, 2008); so many animal protection organizations and government itself have intensified to address this problem. Also, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species adopted a moratorium on the international trading of elephant ivory by African elephants (Breyer, 2017).
Combating poaching
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) report indicate that the mortality of elephants is higher than the birth rate. Approximately 20,000 elephants die each year but this rate is exceptionally high than the births, and this is a dangerous prospect to the conservation of wildlife (Cites.org, 2016). CITES is responsible for regulating the international trade of more than thirty-five species of plants and animals and resorted to specific methods against poaching (Cites.org, 2016). One of these methods was the confiscation of ivory. It can be seen that this practice has significant consequences as the number of ivory transportation has declined (Cites.org, 2016). The extensive CITES MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) program lays extensive measures and figures regarding the population of elephants in Eastern and Central Africa. A global ban on the sale of ivory and its products can be a significant step in the retention and increase of elephant numbers.
Social Media
It is incredibly vital to inform the people about the importance of the issue of ivory trade and the preventive actions, to make a significant change and find more supporters. Therefore, the next important step in the battle against the issue of extinction of elephants is the notification of the considerable number of people by using social media which can educate and notify them. Using social media to urged people to protect elephants, “When the buying stops, the killing can too”. In the contemporary society, there can be no other means that can put the message across as fast as how the social media would do it. According to Clay Shirky, the whole population including ordinary citizens, activists, politicians and the government can be made aware of the issues that are occurring all over the world with the help of the Internet and social networks of the 21st century (Shirky, 2016).
Banning the sale of ivory
Recently, China announced the adoption of a law banning the sale of ivory (Bale, 2017). Although, some critics say that Hong Kong is not covered by the new rules and will still sell products as figurines and chopsticks made from ivory which generates the killing of elephants by the poachers in Africa. China is the most extensive legal and illegal supplier of ivory, and the manufacture of goods from this material is one of the largest businesses in this country. In the past, the Chinese used tusks to make arrowheads, ornaments, and ritual objects. Over time, carving on the bone became a favorite kind of artistic creativity, which led to the fact that China became the leader in the legal and illegal trade of ivory. Also, one of the main reasons for the demand for ivory in China is the fact that they believe in the miraculous properties of drugs based on its material. Despite the fact that other countries have long adopted a law banning the trade in ivory, China has just recently decided to ban because they did consider it much profitable. A simple legal ban by China does not guarantee the complete cessation of trade in the elephant ivory. However, it is a giant leap in the right direction.
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The exponential decrease of elephants in recent decades is an issue that ought to have come to light many years ago. Activities such as trade in ivory and its products and the ban on poaching need more efforts from the stakeholders for the relative laws to uphold. Elephants are vital components to the existence of man and the natural ecosystem. Their decrease in poaching and other illegal means need to come to a halt. Social media platforms can play a vital role in helping solve this menace.
Works Cited
“Mother Elephant Defends Her Baby From Two Hippo | Elephants rescue Elephants from Animal Attack” YouTube, uploaded by Alan Fogarty, 10 January 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNCi_OxOPSQ&feature=youtu.be.
Safina, Carl. Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel. Henry Holt and Company, 2015
Plotnik, Joshua M., et al. "Self-Recognition in an Asian Elephant." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 103, no. 45, 07 Nov. 2006, pp. 17053-17057. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1073/pnas.0608062103.
Nandini, S., Keerthipriya P, Vidya TNC*. "Seasonal Variation in Female Asian Elephant Social Structure in Nagarahole-Bandipur, Southern India." Animal Behaviour, vol. 134, Dec. 2017, pp. 135-145. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.10.012.
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“African elephants still in decline due to high levels of ...” Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 2016.
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Breyer, Melissa. “6 ways to help elephants.” MNN - Mother Nature Network, Mother Nature Network, 16 Nov. 2017,
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/6-ways-to-help-elephants
Mathiesen, Karl. “Elephants on the path to extinction - the facts.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Aug. 2016, www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/12/elephants-on-the-path-to-extinction-the-facts.
Shirky, Clay. “The Political Power of Social Media.” Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2016, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2010-12-20/political-power-social-media.
Cites.org. (2016). African elephants still in decline due to high levels of poaching | CITES. [online] Available at: https://cites.org/eng/news/pr/african_elephants_still_in_decline_due_to_high_levels_of_poaching_03032016 [Accessed 17 Mar. 2018].
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