September 22 - World Elephant Day

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September 22 in many countries celebrates one of the ecological holidays of our planet - World Day of elephants. It was established at the initiative of environmental organizations, ecologists, and simply caring people, concerned about the decline in the number of these animals. Perhaps this fact may amaze someone, but, alas, today such pachyderous giants as elephants need protection.

Elephants are the largest of the land mammals. These are very intelligent, highly organized animals with self-awareness. They are the only survivors of the ancient group of proboscis, who previously inhabited most of the land. Currently, in the wild, elephants live in the rainforests and savannas of Southeast Asia and Africa.

Since ancient times, elephants have been revered by many peoples of the world. In many cultures, they are a symbol of power and greatness of rulers, wisdom and tranquility, kindness and prosperity. In any Buddhist country, elephants are revered as a symbol of longevity, prudence and prudence.

Throughout history, elephants have played an important role in people's lives. It is known that in antiquity they participated in military campaigns and battles, helped in the construction and transportation of goods, and were indispensable assistants to the peasants. And even today, the welfare of a number of countries where tourism is one of the key sectors of the economy, directly "depends" on elephants that attract tourists to the country. For example, in Thailand and India, elephants take part in all holidays, creating a unique flavor. They play polo, participate in races and various ceremonies, draw and entertain tourists in every possible way.

However, it is man who is the main enemy of the elephant. Indeed, the main reasons for the reduction in the number of these animals is the hunt for them. People hunt elephants for tusks and meat, destroy them due to damage to crops, and deforestation takes away the natural habitat of majestic mammals.

Today, for example, African elephants are one step away from extinction. And this is despite the fact that in many countries of the world the killing of elephants is punishable by death, and protected and protected areas have been created for their protection. However, these measures do not solve the problem.

For Indian elephants, hunting for tusks, which only males have, but even those very short ones, does not lead. But here the situation is not easier. Since India is considered the most densely populated place in the world, elephants are simply driven out of their natural habitat, often condemning them to death from a lack of food and water.

And even zoos do not solve the problem of pachyderm mammals. After all, they are far from comfortable everywhere, and not everywhere the elephants are given appropriate care and good attitude. But the worst thing is that in captivity elephants practically do not breed, and their life span is reduced by several times, while the average life span in the wild is 60 - 70 years.

Currently, only two species of elephants have survived:

• Indian elephant, which reaches a height of 2.5 meters and a weight of 3-5 tons;
• African elephant, with a weight of 5 - 7 tons, its height can reach up to 4 meters.

Today in Africa there are approximately 500 - 600 thousand elephants, in Asia - about 30 thousand individuals, and these figures are steadily declining. Indian elephants are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “in danger”, and African elephants as “in a state close to endangered." In 1989, a UN decision completely prohibited international trade in ivory (tusks), which is used for jewelry and crafts.

Therefore, the main goal of World Elephant Day is to disseminate information about the need to protect and preserve the population of African and Indian elephants, as well as to draw public attention to the problem of the illegal extermination of elephants and the inappropriate keeping of these animals in captivity.

Despite the fact that World Elephant Day does not yet have an official status, many environmental and environmental organizations in different countries of the world traditionally take part in organizing events dedicated to this date. On this day, educational events, flash mobs, exhibitions and conferences are held, people are told about elephants, about their life in nature and in captivity, about the problems of preserving these magnificent animals.

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