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Caption: I C O N I C And In Danger
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Caption: Elephants are one of Africa’s most iconic species. These pachyderms live in groups; the oldest female—the matriarch—leads the family unit.
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Caption: With the biggest brains in the animal kingdom, elephants exhibit a variety
of behaviors.
They are capable of grief, learning, play, altruism, cooperation,
self-awareness, use of tools
and language.
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Caption: Elephant mothers have very long pregnancies. They carry their calves for 22 months, and cows usually only bear one calf every two to four years. A calf will take the first 17 years of its life to learn critical social and survival skills.
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Caption: In 1970, 1.3 million elephants roamed Africa. Today there are fewer than 500,000, with an estimated 35,000 being killed every year. That's roughly 100 elephant deaths each day.
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Caption: The elephant’s tusks have made it a target for poachers.
Fueled by a growing demand for ivory products in places like China, Thailand and the U.S., trafficking elephant tusks has flourished as a black market industry.
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Caption: How do we stop the slaughter and ensure a future for Africa’s elephants?
Here are some key hurdles we must overcome: http://bit.ly/why-poachers-thrive
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Caption: PHOTOS: Sharon Loudon Photography / sharonloudon.com
Billy Dodson / savannaimages.com
Barbara von Hoffman / vonhoffmanphotograph.com
Annie Katz /anniekatzphotography.com
Martin Harvey / wildimagesonline.com
Drone piloted and video shot by Ben Kreimer in collabraipn with Africa SkyCAM and CCTV Africa
Caption: #elephants #animals #animalkingdom #conservation #wildlife #nature #Africa #wildlifephotography