Shermin de Silva is a biologist from the University of California, San Diego, who for years has been studying the behavior of Asian elephants, and their relationship with us humans. His latest study, published in the magazine Ecological Solutions and Evidencehe talks about pachyderms, but not only: it is a generalized warning that concerns All wild animals that are nourished by clubs and touristsa habit that is increasingly footed in many areas of the world and that It should be avoided At all costs, because it can create problems for both animals and us humans.
Don’t nourish the elephants! The study, conducted by De Silva together with two colleagues from Sigur Nature Trust, in India, collects the results of almost twenty years of observations in different parks of Asia where still numerous populations live Asian elephants: In Sri Lanka, for example, there is the Udawalawe National Park, in which 400 specimens of this pachyderm live, while in India the study took place in the Sigur region. All documented cases concern Direct interactions between Tourists and Asian elephantsand demonstrate what the dangers of too narrow coexistence are.
Alms. The elephants of the Sri Lanka, for example, learned to join near the southern entrance of the park, where “they are alms” tourists food who are just happy to offer him.
Food that is often not the one suitable for elephants, and sometimes it is appetizing because sugarto the point that the pachyderms are willing to break through the fence in order to continue to be nourished. Even those of India have shown a certain dependence on human food, and in some cases they also have unimpraved to feed in a natural way.
The damage of food. The consequences of this forced proximity between tourists and elephants can be fatal – both for each other. In Sri Lanka, some tourists were overwhelmed by animals who broke through the fence in search of food, and at least three elephants were demolished as a consequence. Not to mention the fact that the pachyderms also risk ingest toxic substancesfor example plastic bags.
The study was conducted on Asian elephants, but the authors also make a more general speech: Accustoming wild animals to food is a risk regardless of the speciesand the same problems caused by elephants could apply to any wild animal. De Silva’s invitation is therefore to avoid this type of contact at all costs, and to behave from responsible tourists when visiting parks and other protected areas.
