Protecting big cats comes naturally

Protecting big cats comes naturally 

March 3, 2018: World Wildlife Day

This year’s focus for World Wildlife Day on March 3 is ‘Big Cats’ so we thought we’d talk about elephants. Here’s why…

For three millennia elephants have moved through the forests of Asia, forging passages through the landscape to connect one feeding ground to the next. Their perpetual processions clear old vegetation, make space for new growth and allow sunlight to dapple the forest floors to fuel new life. They disperse the seeds of the plants they eat through their dung, seeding and composting as they go, nourishing countless plants and insects on which a hundred other species depend; the herbivores and the carnivores that feed upon them.

Elephants are the architects of the forests and forests are vital to us all; we depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change.

Across Asia, big cats rely on these forests too. As ambush predators, tigers and leopards depend on forest cover while the smaller cats find food and safety in the forest canopy or along the shaded forest floors.

While many of us empathize with the plight of the charismatic big cats and consider ourselves their protectors through our donations to the charities that protect them, this World Wildlife Day spare a thought for the animals that have been helping to protect the big cats and their forests for thousands of years – the Asian elephants – nature’s very own big cat protection team.

If you would like to donate to Elephant Family’s work to protect these magnificent big cat/forest guardians click here