Elephants Make a World of Difference

When a hungry elephant uproots an acacia tree or browses on bushes, it opens space for other plants and grasses to grow, providing food for grazing animals. Thirsty elephants often dig water holes during drought, creating a crucial water source for the whole ecosystem. Elephants plant new forests when they disperse plant seeds in their dung. An elephant's dung is also a rich source of food for monkeys, since more than half of an elephant's intake is undigested. Without the elephant, a lot of animals would be hungry and thirsty.

Zoos to the Rescue

In a world with too little wilderness left, populations of elephants have become perilously small. Their plight has kindled a strong interest in zoo breeding programs. In 1985, the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums created a Species Survival Plan for elephants. Member zoos, including the Smithsonian's National Zoo, manage their elephants as one herd, sharing research and information on breeding. So far, nearly 60 babies have been born.

Why Not More?
Two reasons, according to the National Zoo's assistant curator of mammals, John Lehnhardt. Until the 1970s, little was known about the elephant's reproductive cycle. Also, while elephant babies may look hearty, 30 percent die in their first year.

Kumari, the National Zoo's first baby elephant, was born in December 1993. Her mother, the Asian elephant Shanthi, had been sent to another zoo to breed. Tragically, 16 months after Kumari was born, she died suddenly from a virus. Despite the loss, the experience answered important questions about elephant pregnancies and newborn care. Lehnhardt now plans to use artificial insemination to breed Shanthi--something that no zoo has yet done successfully. Whatever the outcome, he says "the joy of watching Kumari grow has made people even more aware of the world's endangered species."