A BIOGRAPHY OF AN ENGINEER

By Sanuli Gamage.

100 years ago, majestic elephants roamed the African continent in numbers exceeding 10 million, with over 100,000 elephants in Asia. Fast forward to today, and only approximately 450,000 elephants remain in the world. Shockingly, at the current rate of killing, the entire species could become extinct in a few years. Over 100 elephants are being killed every day, and this devastating loss of life is having a profound impact on the environment. Elephants are known as "engineers" because they play a vital role in supporting other animals and keeping ecosystems functioning.

During dry seasons, elephants create new water sources by digging holes into the ground using their tusks. They also flatten shrubland to create savannahs, which increases visibility for predators, allowing them to hunt their prey effectively. Another important activity conducted by elephants is pollination through their dung. Seeds are dispersed when they travel vast distances, and these seeds are deposited after being fertilized through their dung. This is one of the most effective ways of seed dispersal in the wild. Therefore, the growth of diverse trees increases the levels of oxygen, and shelter is provided for many animals. Furthermore, seeds stuck in their dung are digested by baboons and dung beetles.

In present times, human-elephant conflict can be widely found due to the gradual decrease in forests. With no place to stay and no food to eat, elephants enter areas with crops and raid them, causing significant economic losses for farmers, as well as many untimely deaths of both humans and elephants. A long-standing reason for the high death rate of elephants is their murder for ivory. Illegal trade of ivory still continues due to the high prices, which are approximately 3,300 USD per pound, with the highest demand from China.

If the death rate of elephants continues to peak, the Earth would lose its keystone species and would not be able to function properly anymore. Therefore, we should all work towards decreasing the number of deaths by not destroying land and decreasing the demand for ivory. It's time to come together to protect these gentle giants and preserve our planet's biodiversity.