Savannah – Unique Nature Habitats https://www.un-habitat.org Beauty Of Nature Magazine Wed, 21 Aug 2019 09:38:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 How Ban On Ivory Sales Can Save Diminishing Elephant Species? https://www.un-habitat.org/how-ban-on-ivory-sales-can-save-diminishing-elephant-species/ Wed, 21 Aug 2019 01:22:02 +0000 https://www.un-habitat.org/?p=4004

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Do you remember seeing a stuffed tiger or
deer or the elephant head at a museum? Well, since ancient times, hunting was
the game that was enjoyed by aristocrats and royalty. They always wanted to
hunt bigger and faster mammals to show their heroism and the meat was
additional! The gradual shift happened, when animals were hunted for more than
meat and pleasure. It was about what could be done with their body parts and
skin!

In the savannah forests
that houses more than 1000 species of flora and fauna, elephants are the
biggest animals you can observe. Elephants were used by lots of people for transporting
heavy load and humans too. Did you know? They were also used as war machines in
ancient times! And then, they became the next target for the hunters.

 

Why Elephants Are Being Killed?

Since ancient times ivory has been a great
attraction for many people. Earlier ivory was only accessible to the elite and
aristocrats, but with the changing times, general people began to use and sell authentic
ivory based products.

The items that are produced from crafting
the ivory were then sold in the ivory trade market. The main exporters of the
elephant ivory were Asia and Africa. This market is very old and dates back to
the 15th or 14 century BCE. After the colonization, the westerners realized
the significance of ivory and thus, began the ruthless hunting of elephants.

Elephant Poaching And Illegal Ivory Trade

The elephant killing rates became so high
that the species came to the brink of extinction. In the year of 1942, the
estimated population of African elephant was about 1.3 million and in 1989 it
was reduced to just 600,000. During that period the estimated worth of the
ivory trade was about $1 billion.

International conferences were discussed
but were largely ignored by the African government. Several solutions were sought
with the cooperation of CITES
(Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). During the earlier days CITES tried to
stop the flow of ivory from the African continent but were failed because of
the lack of cooperation from the government side.

How Stopping Ivory Sales Helps In Saving Elephants?

Well, the logic is quite simple! If there
is no demand, there will be no supply and vice versa. If there is no demand for
ivory, the sole purpose to kill the elephants does not exist. For achieving
this target, CITES along with several other organizations like WWF
and TRAFFIC has signed a convention with almost 173 countries banning all kinds
of ivory products.

These countries have to have to report the
number of seized ivory products to the CITES Secretariat.

Also, by closing the existing Chinese
and Japanese markets for ivory trade, CITES has achieved a huge milestone.
According to the organization most of the ivory products were made by the Chinese
and South Asian people. This will reduce the rate of the elephant being poached
for their tusks. These organizations are actively spreading awareness about the
poor condition of the elephant and encouraging for helping in stopping ivory
trade by not buying ivory related items.

In recent times, more countries have
joined the list of countries that have banned any sale of ivory in their
country. For example last year the United
Kingdom
banned all forms of ivory trade in the
UK and in the United
States of America
, the ivory trade ban has
caused some real damage to its traders and dealers. 

We can say that a ban on ivory trade can
really save elephants from the hands of the poachers. People have to be aware
of the plight and poor conditions of these majestic creatures. They have to
understand that a tusk cannot be compared to the life of this amazing living
creature. We need to be a part of the process and support the global agencies
who are taking big steps towards saving the elephant.

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Get Acquainted With Exotic Animal Species Of The Savannah Regions https://www.un-habitat.org/exotic-animal-savannah-regions/ Thu, 10 Aug 2017 02:34:43 +0000 http://www.un-habitat.org/?p=3707 The savannah regions of the world are home to over 20,000 species of flora and fauna and are characterized as hot and dry areas. However, there are instances when it can get extremely wet in these regions. They are located in the lower latitudes and are usually bordered by grasslands and forests in parts of Africa, Australia, India, Madagascar, South America and the South East of Asia.

Due to its dry nature, animals in the savannah usually live on the brink of starvation and have to be more and more cunning with each passing day in order to survive.

Here is a list of some of the most exotic animal species in the Savannah region.

“They can weigh up to 315 kg and can measure 6-8 feet high.”

1. Greater Kudu

The greater kudu are some of the most magnificent creatures to roam the African Savannah. In some parts of the Savannah, they are considered as an endangered species. They can weigh up to 315 kg and can measure 6-8 feet high. From the first appearance, they might seem a bit clumsy; however, the opposite is quite true. They’re very swift, jump extraordinarily high, and can be a very tough catch for predators in the African Savannah. The males usually have spiral shaped horns which can grow to over 3 feet in some instances.

“It is one of the few mammals that lay eggs.”

2. The Short Beaked Echidna

The short beaked echidna is a monotreme located in the Australian Tropical Savannah. It is one of the few mammals that lay eggs, along with the well-known – if elusive – duck-billed platypus, and is the only one located in the southern part of Australia. It has a very distinctive snout and specialized tongue that helps it catch its predators. Its spines act as a protective mechanism whenever it senses the presence of predators within its vicinity. It does not like the hot weather and will swim if necessary.

“They’re some of the most efficient hunters in the African Savannah.”

3. The African Wild Dog

Just as their name suggests, the African wild dog is located in the savannah regions of Africa. You can be forgiven for thinking that they are rabid dogs. However, you can easily tell the difference in appearance because of their large rounded ears. These allow them to hear calls from far distances and are also important for temperature regulation and heat loss. They’re some of the most efficient hunters in the African Savannah and can reach speeds of up to 35 mph whenever they are chasing prey. They are also pack animals, with each pack being led by an alpha male.

4. The Flying Fox

Don’t let the name mislead you. The flying fox is a bat. However, they are larger than normal bats and are usually located in the savannah regions of Australia and Africa. Flying foxes are the silent animals of the savannah. They live in colonies and fly out at night to forage for nectar and at times fruits. They play a huge role in maintaining the savannah eco-system given their primary role as a pollinating agent. In some parts of Australia, they are endangered and are close to becoming extinct due to human conflict issues.

5. Lelwel Hartebeest

Just like the greater kudu, these hartebeests usually look bulky but are swift animals in reality – they can reach speeds of up to 43 mph! They too are an endangered species and have a long and narrow head. They usually live in herds, but their numbers are dependent on the amount of grass available in the savannah.

“They usually live in family units, and, being herbivorous, feast off shrubs, fruits, branches, and shoots.”

6. The Elephant

You can’t go through a list of the most exotic animals in the savannah without mentioning the elephant – the largest land mammal in the world Globally, there are an estimated 440,000 elephants left, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), due to poaching, and habitat loss in some cases. These endangered animals – not to mention icons of the African savannah, with their distinctive silhouettes – are a real marvel to sight. They usually live in family units, and, being herbivorous, feast off shrubs, fruits, branches, and shoots. The slightly smaller Indian elephant can be distinguished from its African cousin by observing its smaller ear size and the fact that its back is more convex in shape.

“The male lions always compete for superiority and territorial dominance, whereas the females always focus on survival.”

7. The Lion

Last, but by no means least, lions are referred to as the kings of the jungle in the African savannah and are social animals. The male lions always compete for superiority and territorial dominance, whereas the females always focus on survival.

As a result, most male lions usually hunt during the day whereas females hunt at night to avoid conflict.

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