Joel Sartoreのインスタグラム(joelsartore) - 6月4日 04時57分

African elephants, like this beautiful girl named Tombi at the @indianapoliszoo, thrive in matriarchal herds. Tombi is lucky enough to live in an expansive habitat with a herd of seven females and one young male. Tombi is 42 years old, which is quite impressive, but she’s not the oldest female in the herd. One of her companions, Sophi, is 52 and the matriarch of the group. Elephants survive by learning ancient skills passed down through many lifetimes. Males will leave the group at puberty, after they’ve learned the necessary skills to survive on their own, but females remain together for their entire lives. Each herd elects a matriarch, usually the oldest in the group, and takes cues from her regarding things like when to eat, where to go and major decisions in an emergency. Because the matriarch has had so much life experience and has learned so much from her elders, this method of survival is very wise.
Though this impressive strategy has helped African elephants survive for millions of years, it can not protect them from everything. Encroachment on habitat due to expanding human populations and poaching for ivory have caused a swift decline in the wild populations of these gentle giants. Despite the global CITES ban on ivory sales, an estimated 100 elephants are still killed each day to support the illegal trade.
Because it’s so dangerous for elephants to live on unprotected land in the wild now, the work of facilities like the @indianapoliszoo is becoming more and more crucial. In 2000, for the first time in the history of the species, two adult female elephants at the Zoo successfully gave birth to two healthy calves after being artificially inseminated. Now, the research that is being done there is helping elephants successfully breed worldwide in order to maintain and protect this majestic species.

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