Sumatran Elephant
Leighanna Weems Weems 1
The Sumatran elephant is native to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia. They play a vital role in the tropical ecosystem because they eat a variety of plants whose seeds can only germinate inside the elephant's digestive tract. Meaning they play a vital role in seed dispersal throughout the rainforest. Without these elephants, many native plants would vanish and affect the food supply for wildlife.
Unfortunately, the Sumatran elephants went from endangered to critically endangered in 2012 due to habitat loss and human conflicts. Due to the rise in pulp and paper industries in Sumatra, more than seventy percent of the elephant's habitat has been destroyed. With limited habitat, more than eighty percent of the herd died off. This leaves only a few left, which affects genetic diversity and increases the threat of extinction. Luckily, in 2004 the Tesso Nilo National Park was established as a safe haven for this species. By advocating for more protected land for wildlife and regulations on deforestation, we can save these elephants from extinction.
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