Thanks To Poachers, More And More Elephants Are Being Born Without Tusks
There are many gorgeous collector’s items that the richest people around the world would pay any price to get their hands on – cars, paintings, clothing, you name it. Unfortunately, the cost for some of these rare items have a bigger price tag than you might think, some even cost the life of a poor animal. Elephant tusks have been a very valuable item throughout history, and even though killing these innocent animals for ivory has been made strictly illegal, there is still a huge demand for it in many countries around the world.
More info: National Geographic
Scientists in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique recently noticed an unusual phenomenon
According to National Geographic, the majority of elderly elephants that survived civil war and hunting were tuskless.
Ivory has always been highly valuable. There is a common belief that it can cure numerous diseases and that it is also a way of increasing fertility and strength.
Slaughtering elephants for their valuable tusks has been around for many years
This practice has already threatened the survival of African and Asian elephants and national and international trade of ivory is strictly illegal.
Despite the law, ivory is still often used in alternative medicine and in art, for example, sculptures of religious depictions.
Now, researchers have found that one-third of the elephants in Mozambique are tuskless
There used to be only around 4% of tuskless elephants in the territory, but this kind is rarely ever killed, they are reproducing fast and their herds are growing.
After the news about tuskless elephants spread, many called it mother nature’s way of fighting back
With numbers rising, this type of change may prove to put a natural stop to the cruel and illegal ivory business. However, everything in nature works together and the butterfly effect of this change might cause changes to the entire ecosystem. Even though now scientists haven’t noticed any significant change in the way elephants behave without tusks, these overgrown teeth are very important and are used by elephants daily to get food. According to National Geographic, there are a certain type of lizards that often live in the trees that were roughed up by elephants, so if the number of tuskless elephants grows, it might also affect other animal populations.
Some people even said that these elephants are “evolving” in order to survive
But others quickly jumped in to explain that this type of change cannot be considered as evolution, as it is the result of cruel human activity and it could also lead to many other problems in our ecosystem.
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Share on FacebookIt is still Evolution by "Natural" Selection with humans being the apex predator causing that selection. That does not mean we shouldn't be extremely bothered by it, but, scientifically, it does, sadly, illustrate Darwin's theory.
WillemPenn, I wanted to say just that, glad to see your comment here. Those who were quick to jump to conclusions were also forgetting that we humans are part of nature as well. Therefore, our actions, for bad or good, they are part of the natural selection process.
Load More Replies...It's the whole process of evolution ... not a "part" of it. It IS evolution. The ones better adapted to survive certain conditions are the ones "selected" to survive and pass their genes on. In this case, elephants with no tusks are "selected" to survive because the "condition" of hunters wanting tusks is evaded.
Load More Replies...Last commenter has it right. It's natural selection rather than evolution. There are fewer living tusked elephants to pass on those genes.
Awesome pics last week of the big mamma elephant whose tusks hit the ground - and survived to be able to die of old age.
Load More Replies...@Stephanie Bladyak, you're totally right, it is wrong and quite sad :( I definitely don't excuse poachers of there crimes. No matter what you're living conditions are, wrong is still wrong. I just think it's unfair of us to judge them like we would judge people from our own country. Not saying that's what you're doing though aha, I just like to share what I hope is my open minded opinions
Load More Replies...Same kind of thing is happening as a result of poor fishing laws. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9YOVuEQugE
Thanks for sharing, hadn't thought of it that way! Note that unlike hunting for tusks, at least the initial idea behind the fishing law had good intentions.
Load More Replies...The comment by John David Bellew is... extraordinarily dumb. Evolution and natural selection are the same thing. A breed that is more suited to the environment survives. That's how evolution friggin' works.
No, they are not exactly the same thing. Evolution is about adding new information to the genetic code, not losing it!
Load More Replies...Sadly..this can also affect their survival. Bull elephants will battle it out for the ability to mate. Usually those with larger tusks will win because they are usually attached to more mature males. If a mature male elephant does not have tusks, it will not win these battles and will never mate. Elephants also use their tusks to tear apart trees and bushes to get food in drought conditions. Without these tusks..some of them may starve.
That may be true, hopefully they'll see it through... I'm hoping since they're such a beloved species by humans, we'll continue putting in a large effort to ensure the elephants won't suffer the same fate as the white rhinoceros
Load More Replies...So, what I got from all of this is that a lot of people don't know what evolution is. Not as sad as tuskless elephants but still very troubling.
Not that troubling really. It doesn't really matter that much if a lot of people don't understand evolution. I mean, regardless of whether or not they know, evolution will still happen the way it's supposed too, so... yeah don't let it trouble you to much lol
Load More Replies...Wow that's weird. Humans who kill animals for no reason puss me off esp something g as stupid as tusks/ ivory.
Stupid poachers. They are terrible, killing these gentle beasts.... For money. I wish it was possible to just put them all in prison
Easy mate, I hate there actions too, but money means life for some of them :( It's a tough situation all around
Load More Replies...I would straight up push a 'sporting' poacher or hunter off a cliff edge into a volcano pit with zero hesitation. Pure scum.
Same, I'd like them to drown in a sewage full of chunky sour milk and then rip there tongue out >:(
Load More Replies...This might be a controversial opinion. I think as many elephants as possible currently should be detusked, therefore protecting them from poachers. I aslo feel legal ivory which has not involved death or injury to an animal should have a legal market - therefore killing the illegal trade. The demand is not going to go away.There is no other solution to remove poached ivory from the black market and save needless elephant deaths. The same for the rhinos. A basic choice between dead illegally slaughtered detusked animals, or live detusked animals.
It's álso hard to determine and differentiate between 'legal' ivory and not. As this market makes big money people are surely willing to deceive and present ivory as cruelty free when it is not so. Perhaps a museum for those antique pieces which exist already would be good, and then a blanket ban on any more? I just feel it's not worth giving the illegal ivory trade any potential loopholes to make money :(
Load More Replies...While it might seem like a good thing that elephants are being born without tusks because then they wouldn't get poached, it's actually not, because it's gonna affect other animal species too. If elephant tusks were actually useless, they would've evolved long ago.
so the animal activists should be thrilled! and since they destroy every piece of art that they get their hands on that is made of ivory, before long there will be nothing left of these great animals at all. so no more poaching! then they'll complain about the elephants overbreeding (like they do with mustangs) and start hiring people to go out ans slaughter them. smdh.
I MEAN, WHATS IT GONNA TAKE FOR THESE PPL TO LEAVE THE WILD ALONE?!?!?! I MEAN, COME ON!!!
Gotta love those Elephants. Hopefully this means their population will grow and grow now :)
Éléphants will anyway become instinct as their habitats are dwindling fast, without tusks they can no longer dig for water during the dry season, all of these things are do to human activities. There will be no return. This planet is going straight into the wall. Water in this very near future will cost more than gold as drinking water is becoming rare in many countries. It's too late to change the damages done to all the ecosystems. Soon the human race will also take it's toll. Governments are oblivious because of the greedy rich that rule this planet. Nothing will be done on a higher level because politicians and the 25 families who hold the power and strings will not give up their status of the extreme rich.
Actually its artificial selection in a way. Humans are killing off elephants with tusks, ones which survive have smaller/no tusks, they get to breed, pass on their genes and we have tuskless elephants.
I think that's why a previous poster put the word natural in quote marks. It's natural in that we are an animal and part of nature, but it's artificial in that it is not because we are a predator needing this to survive, but a predator who selects the tusked ones purely for money, a concept not found very often in nature (excepting penguin who gift pretty rocks etc) Sadly the matrix was spot on when it said humans are like a virus: spread, multiply, destroy deplete and move on.
Load More Replies...That's very strange; evolution doesn't work that fast.... but thanks for the info, who know maybe we'll see toothless elephants in the near future
It upsets me your comment has been downvoted, 'cause you have an absolutely valid point. This isn't evolution like everyone here seems to think, it's natural selection, which LEADS to evolution. Keep being smart Illzzy :)
Load More Replies...I don't get why some people aren't happy with this. This is good for the elephants. Less will be killed hopefully.
From an overall species survival standpoint it makes me happy, but I am sad that (a) humans, though a part of nature, have choice and forced this change (b) an iconic part of what makes an elephant an elephant in common thought and imagery is disappearing and (c) it will probably impact the ecosystem in untold ways, leading to evolution of some species and extinction of others.
Load More Replies...It is still Evolution by "Natural" Selection with humans being the apex predator causing that selection. That does not mean we shouldn't be extremely bothered by it, but, scientifically, it does, sadly, illustrate Darwin's theory.
WillemPenn, I wanted to say just that, glad to see your comment here. Those who were quick to jump to conclusions were also forgetting that we humans are part of nature as well. Therefore, our actions, for bad or good, they are part of the natural selection process.
Load More Replies...It's the whole process of evolution ... not a "part" of it. It IS evolution. The ones better adapted to survive certain conditions are the ones "selected" to survive and pass their genes on. In this case, elephants with no tusks are "selected" to survive because the "condition" of hunters wanting tusks is evaded.
Load More Replies...Last commenter has it right. It's natural selection rather than evolution. There are fewer living tusked elephants to pass on those genes.
Awesome pics last week of the big mamma elephant whose tusks hit the ground - and survived to be able to die of old age.
Load More Replies...@Stephanie Bladyak, you're totally right, it is wrong and quite sad :( I definitely don't excuse poachers of there crimes. No matter what you're living conditions are, wrong is still wrong. I just think it's unfair of us to judge them like we would judge people from our own country. Not saying that's what you're doing though aha, I just like to share what I hope is my open minded opinions
Load More Replies...Same kind of thing is happening as a result of poor fishing laws. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9YOVuEQugE
Thanks for sharing, hadn't thought of it that way! Note that unlike hunting for tusks, at least the initial idea behind the fishing law had good intentions.
Load More Replies...The comment by John David Bellew is... extraordinarily dumb. Evolution and natural selection are the same thing. A breed that is more suited to the environment survives. That's how evolution friggin' works.
No, they are not exactly the same thing. Evolution is about adding new information to the genetic code, not losing it!
Load More Replies...Sadly..this can also affect their survival. Bull elephants will battle it out for the ability to mate. Usually those with larger tusks will win because they are usually attached to more mature males. If a mature male elephant does not have tusks, it will not win these battles and will never mate. Elephants also use their tusks to tear apart trees and bushes to get food in drought conditions. Without these tusks..some of them may starve.
That may be true, hopefully they'll see it through... I'm hoping since they're such a beloved species by humans, we'll continue putting in a large effort to ensure the elephants won't suffer the same fate as the white rhinoceros
Load More Replies...So, what I got from all of this is that a lot of people don't know what evolution is. Not as sad as tuskless elephants but still very troubling.
Not that troubling really. It doesn't really matter that much if a lot of people don't understand evolution. I mean, regardless of whether or not they know, evolution will still happen the way it's supposed too, so... yeah don't let it trouble you to much lol
Load More Replies...Wow that's weird. Humans who kill animals for no reason puss me off esp something g as stupid as tusks/ ivory.
Stupid poachers. They are terrible, killing these gentle beasts.... For money. I wish it was possible to just put them all in prison
Easy mate, I hate there actions too, but money means life for some of them :( It's a tough situation all around
Load More Replies...I would straight up push a 'sporting' poacher or hunter off a cliff edge into a volcano pit with zero hesitation. Pure scum.
Same, I'd like them to drown in a sewage full of chunky sour milk and then rip there tongue out >:(
Load More Replies...This might be a controversial opinion. I think as many elephants as possible currently should be detusked, therefore protecting them from poachers. I aslo feel legal ivory which has not involved death or injury to an animal should have a legal market - therefore killing the illegal trade. The demand is not going to go away.There is no other solution to remove poached ivory from the black market and save needless elephant deaths. The same for the rhinos. A basic choice between dead illegally slaughtered detusked animals, or live detusked animals.
It's álso hard to determine and differentiate between 'legal' ivory and not. As this market makes big money people are surely willing to deceive and present ivory as cruelty free when it is not so. Perhaps a museum for those antique pieces which exist already would be good, and then a blanket ban on any more? I just feel it's not worth giving the illegal ivory trade any potential loopholes to make money :(
Load More Replies...While it might seem like a good thing that elephants are being born without tusks because then they wouldn't get poached, it's actually not, because it's gonna affect other animal species too. If elephant tusks were actually useless, they would've evolved long ago.
so the animal activists should be thrilled! and since they destroy every piece of art that they get their hands on that is made of ivory, before long there will be nothing left of these great animals at all. so no more poaching! then they'll complain about the elephants overbreeding (like they do with mustangs) and start hiring people to go out ans slaughter them. smdh.
I MEAN, WHATS IT GONNA TAKE FOR THESE PPL TO LEAVE THE WILD ALONE?!?!?! I MEAN, COME ON!!!
Gotta love those Elephants. Hopefully this means their population will grow and grow now :)
Éléphants will anyway become instinct as their habitats are dwindling fast, without tusks they can no longer dig for water during the dry season, all of these things are do to human activities. There will be no return. This planet is going straight into the wall. Water in this very near future will cost more than gold as drinking water is becoming rare in many countries. It's too late to change the damages done to all the ecosystems. Soon the human race will also take it's toll. Governments are oblivious because of the greedy rich that rule this planet. Nothing will be done on a higher level because politicians and the 25 families who hold the power and strings will not give up their status of the extreme rich.
Actually its artificial selection in a way. Humans are killing off elephants with tusks, ones which survive have smaller/no tusks, they get to breed, pass on their genes and we have tuskless elephants.
I think that's why a previous poster put the word natural in quote marks. It's natural in that we are an animal and part of nature, but it's artificial in that it is not because we are a predator needing this to survive, but a predator who selects the tusked ones purely for money, a concept not found very often in nature (excepting penguin who gift pretty rocks etc) Sadly the matrix was spot on when it said humans are like a virus: spread, multiply, destroy deplete and move on.
Load More Replies...That's very strange; evolution doesn't work that fast.... but thanks for the info, who know maybe we'll see toothless elephants in the near future
It upsets me your comment has been downvoted, 'cause you have an absolutely valid point. This isn't evolution like everyone here seems to think, it's natural selection, which LEADS to evolution. Keep being smart Illzzy :)
Load More Replies...I don't get why some people aren't happy with this. This is good for the elephants. Less will be killed hopefully.
From an overall species survival standpoint it makes me happy, but I am sad that (a) humans, though a part of nature, have choice and forced this change (b) an iconic part of what makes an elephant an elephant in common thought and imagery is disappearing and (c) it will probably impact the ecosystem in untold ways, leading to evolution of some species and extinction of others.
Load More Replies...
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