Maddi+&+Kahli

=The Sumatran Elephant =
 * Found:** Sumatra
 * Size:** 2 - 3 metres high
 * Weight:** 3000 - 5000 kilograms
 * Lifespan:** 55 - 70 years old
 * Habitat:** Rainforest and tropical woodlands
 * Threats:** Habitat loss, poaching and human conflict
 * Conservation status:** Critically endangered

Some of the problems being faced by both animals and people in these areas - By Maddi:
The sumatran elephant is listed as critically endangered, with only 2200 - 2700 elephants remaining in the wild. Their numbers are declining rapidly, dropping an estimated 50% since 1985. Scientists say that if we continue to allow these devastating losses to continue, the sumatran elephant will be extinct in just 30 years. The sumatran elephants main threats are poaching and habitat loss. As our world continues to expand and develop, we continue to clear the natural environments to make way for these changes. Sumatra, the home of the sumatran elephant, is known to have the world's biggest deforestation rates in the world. Conservationist groups have confirmed that Sumatra has lost more than two thirds of its original forests, in just the past 25 years. The sumatran elephants are losing their homes and of their remaining natural habitat, 85% is unprotected and will most likely be destroyed. These forests are being cleared away for the resources they provide as well as the land that can be used for new plantations and farming crops. As well as taking away the remaining space in which these animals have to live, the destruction of the natural plant life means that there is no available food source and the elephants are left starving and wandering. As the forests continue to shrink, the elephants are forced to migrate closer and closer to the inhabited and cultivated lands, which causes conflict with the humans. Due to its fearsome size, the sumatran elephant is feared by many humans. When the elephants ruin and feed on farmer's crops, they can ruin businesses and many of these farmers will shoot or poison the troublesome elephants to save their income. Scared and startled, some of the elephants accidentally injure or even kill villagers, who then act in retaliation and kill the innocent animals. There are some cruel people, known as poachers, who hunt the sumatran elephants specially to get their valuable tusks. The ivory tusks of the elephants are extremely expensive and can reach up to $3000 each on the black market. The fact that only the male sumatran elephants have tusks, makes them even more valuable. These poachers will shoot or poison the elephants to get to their tusks, and if the targeted elephants are lucky enough to survive, they often die anyway because without their tusks they cannot defend themselves or adapt to their environment appropriately. When their parents are killed due to these exposed threats, many elephant calves are left to survive alone. Without the support of their mother, these calves are helpless and unable to survive. Yet another generation of the sumatran elephant is endangered and running the chance of extinction.

Factors which are affecting the animal's ability to live in the wild - By Kahli: There are a variety of factors which affect the Sumatran elephants ability to live in the wild, but the most widely known reason is habitat loss, this so widely known as it is the primary reason for the elephants not being able to survive in the wild. And it’s not just the Sumatran elephants that are affected by the deforestation throughout Indonesia. Indonesia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world due to plantations and clearing of land continues to expand across Indonesia as the population increases and the demand for palm oil and other substances in the cause for this deforestation. So far Indonesia has lost 2/3 of it’s natural low land forest in the past 25 years, and these natural lowland forests are the perfect habitat for the Sumatran elephant. But it’s not just the legal clearing of forests but there are also illegal loggers who are destroying their habitat. While these forests are being cleared for palm oil estates, timber plantation for paper production and for housing and agricultural purposes it’s pushing the Sumatran elephants towards nearby towns and villages along with agricultural fields. These aren’t the appropriate living conditions they need to thrive in and due to this they destroy fields, plantation and forms of housing when trying to survive. This causes conflict between the humans and the Sumatran elephants and this often results in the death of the elephants as the humans feel threatened by the elephants or they are intervening with their production of crops or other agricultural purposes which is their only source of income, due to this and the other factors they all affect the Sumatran elephant’s ability to live in the wild.

==CHIPP  is the acronym used to list the threats posed to endangered animals in our world - By Maddi and Kahli: == C **-** Climate change, this is the long term changes in global weather patterns which affect the climate in certain areas such as the elephants habitat in Sumatra. H - Habitat destruction, this is the process by which natural habitats are damaged or destroyed to such an extent that they aren't capable of supporting the species that inhabit it. I <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">- Introduced species, when species are introduced to a country that they are not native to and effect the countries food chain and become predator or pests to native animals of the country <span style="color: #406d47; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">P <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">- Pollution, The process in which introduction of a substance or thing has harmful or poisonous effects on the environment <span style="color: #406d47; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">P <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">- Poaching, the illegal hunting, capturing or killing of a protected species of animal.

[[image:dead elephant.jpg]][[image:deforestation.jpg height="314"]]
<span style="color: #396544; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em;">The animal's requirements for food and shelter - By Maddi: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The sumatran elephant is a herbivore and only eats plant life to gain the nutrients they need to survive. Due to it's large size, the sum tar elephant consumes up to 450 kilograms of food a day! They eat a wide range of vegetation known to their habitats, such as bananas, ginger, young bamboo, nuts, seeds, and leaves from a variety of vines. The sumatran elephant uses it's tusks to forage and dig out possible food sources, such as roots, and its long trunk to pick up this food and place it in it's mouth. Because the sumatran elephant is a herbivore, it doesn't prey on other animals and due to its size it can protect it self against other animals. Besides human poachers, the sumatran elephant's main predator is the sumatran tiger, however they tend to prey on smaller elephant calves rather than full grown elephants. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The sumatran elephant requires a habitat that supplies a fresh water source, vegetation and a form of shelter. They generally live in subtropical forests, which provide them with plenty of shelter and protection against the weather. The sumatran elephant's thick hide also protects it from exposure to the elements.

<span style="color: #396544; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">The environment in which the animal lives - By Kahli:
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Sumatran elephant is found in Sumatra situated in Western Indonesia. They are located in the lowland forests especially close to the rivers and creeks for a fresh water source to keep them thriving as water is an important part of an elephants’ habitat as it not only provides a source of water to drink from but they use it too cool down and refresh as well as washing themselves. Although they can also be found in hill forests but most are more comfortable in the lowland forests as it is easier and more accessible for them. These forest provide the Sumatran elephant with the shelter, variety of vegetation that is also their food source and of course, fresh water.



Bibliography:
[] [] [] http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/sumatran-elephant-listed-as-critically-endangered/493220
 * 28/5/2012**
 * 29/5/2012**
 * 16/6/2012**

[] [] [|http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0124-sumatran_elephant.html#]
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 * 8/6/2012**
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