P A C K A G E S
WILDLIFE SPECIES
Elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals, with adults sometimes weighing six tons or more. Of the two species, the African elephant is larger and more plentiful than the Asian elephant. But both are threatened by shrinking living space and poaching for the ivory trade.
Modern elephants are the last survivors of the old and varied "trunked" family of mammals that once ranged the entire planet. These heirs of such mighty creatures as the extinct mastodon and mammoth and occupy a unique place in their habitat in Africa and Asia.
As huge and powerful consumers, elephants are considered to be a keystone species in their environment, affecting biodiversity in the regions they inhabit. They open up areas of forest where light-dependent plants can take hold, for example, creating habitat for grazing animals. Such elephant roadways also act as fire breaks or drainage conduits and are littered with partially digested, ready-to-germinate seeds conveniently fertilized in elephant dung.
The wells elephants dig in search of water are used by virtually all other wildlife in a given region, particularly during periods of drought. On the other hand, elephant activity can also be seen as destructive, particularly under the pressures of human landscape transformation that force the animals into smaller areas. As habitat shrinks, their voracious appetite can bring them more frequently into conflict with people.
Wildlife Species
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| » Asiatic
Lion » Black Buck » Elephant » Indian Peacock » Leopard |
» Bangal
Tiger » Camel » Indian Deer » Indian Rhino |
» Cranes
» Cobra » Indian Langur » Indian Tiger |
