Saving the Elephants

On October 4^th, a call to action was posted on the National Geographic website, a call in the name of elephants. The iworry campaign, created by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, was launched in September 2012 to raise awareness for the elephant species, which has been poached for years in the pursuit of ivory tusks. The ban on the international sale of ivory, enacted in 1989, was the first step in combatting the hunt for elephants, which has significantly reduced their population. While this ban was effective at first, more recently, poaching has begun to escalate once again. Approximately 36,000 elephants are now being killed annually. This phenomenon is not only affecting the elephant population, but the populations of plants and animals in Africa as well. Some plants, which are dependent on elephants for spreading seeds and thus increasing their reproduction rate, are dying out, and this is just one example. The International March for Elephants is a demonstration of support for the elephant species, which took place around the world on October 4^th, and supporters demanded: “a strengthening of laws and penalties associated with wildlife crime in countries where poaching and ivory trafficking occurs; increased levels of investment in anti-poaching initiatives by international governments; increased diplomatic pressure on countries where elephants live; and pressure on those nations that fuel the demand” (Sheldrick). 

Approaching this problem politically is necessary to stop these hideous crimes. There are, however, other approaches to consider as well. With the elephant population at risk of being hunted to extinction, we must consider the possibilities offered to us by biotechnology. In her book Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts, author Emily Anthes explores the topic of biotechnology. Anthes talks about her visit to the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (ACRES), which has made great strides in keeping endangered populations from extinction in innovative ways. One of the methods they have employed is cloning. ACRES was able to clone a number of wild felines by putting their DNA (taken off a sample of skin cells) into an empty egg from a related species, in this case housecats, and using that related species as surrogate mothers.

While this process has not been perfected and would be much more difficult to do with the elephant species, it is a method that must be considered in the future. We have in our hands the technology to keep a species from extinction by creating clones from the animals that are still alive. This is not a perfect plan, however, because it would significantl

y limit the variation in the species and the eventual interbreeding could create a number of biological defects. That being said, researchers are making great advancements in the field every day. In the meantime, many researchers are stockpiling frozen DNA so that when the technology advances enough, they can pull the DNA and make clones from a variety of species, some of which may even be extinct by that point. Theoretically, scientists would be able to bring these animals back from extinction. Even those turned off by the thought of biotechnology must admit that this is a tempting possibility. Therefore, it is important that steps be taken now before these animals have reached extinction and DNA samples can no longer be put to use. There is a bounty on the elephant population and so this problem must be combatted from every angle possible if we hope to see these magnificent beasts roaming the Earth hundreds of years from now.

You can find the article referenced at the following link:

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/04/elephant-crisis-an-international-march-as-warning-and-call-to-action/