Description of your African Forest Elephant 

The African Forest Elephant is one of the biggest animals in the world. The male African elephants are usually 3 metres in height and the female African Forest Elephants around 2.5 metres. These are one of the heaviest animal on earth. They weigh about 50-200 pounds, the offspring is usually 50-80 pounds at birth and then the adults are 90-200. The eat fruit and many leaves.

 

Why is the African Forest Elephant important to the ecosystem?

The animal is important to the ecosystem because During the dry season, elephants use their tusks to dig for water. This not only allows the elephants to survive in dry environments and when droughts strike, but also provides water for other animals that share harsh habitats. So with their unique bodies they help themselves and other animals. When forest elephants eat, they create gaps in the vegetation. These gaps allow new plants to grow and create pathways for other smaller animals to use.

 

 What human behaviors are a threat to the African Forest Animal?

Humans kill them for their soft skin to create unique like purses and shoes, and more. They also cut off their tusks to make money and use it too make houses out of their tusks and they pay people to visit the “cool” houses. Without their tusks it will be hard to fight off predators and to use their tusks to get food.

 

The steps to take African Forest Animals off the Threatened / Endangered Species List

The realistic steps to take the animal off the threatened/endangered species list is that China made history last year after announcing the closure of its legal elephant ivory trade by the end of 2017. Many experts around the world hailed the decision as a game changer for elephants, which poachers kill by the tens of thousands each year for their tusks, primarily to satisfy the demand for ivory products in Asia.

  How long will your recovery plan take AND how much money you will need?

This process will take about 5 years because we need a while to tell lots of people and get together with people who care and think of ways to help animals. With all these different ways we will obviously need money to help the elephants so, we will need over 8,000 dollars to help the elephants. We will get the money from selling different items to help the elephants and from donations.