Mohamed Dussu
The wild elephant species has been shown to be very close to the natural vegetation environment with baobab trees. This is one of the reasons why some endangered species such as Ruaha and Tarangire have large herds of elephants.
The association of elephants with baobab trees has led to the invasion of elephants in the fields of villagers living near elephant reserves. This invasion occurs mainly during the dry season when elephants enter the fields in search of baobab trees. So farms that have baobab trees have been severely challenged by these animals.
It is widely believed that co-operation between gourds and elephants has been one of the catalysts for a significant increase in elephants due to the benefits they receive from elephants from baobab trees.
What is the baobab tree?
The baobab tree is a tropical tree with large branches and broad, fleshy fibers. The baobab has a reputation for absorbing and storing water during the rainy season, making the tree have a high branch and plenty of water. In the dry season, the baobab tree loses its water, causing the tree to wither and produce its fruit, which ripens in the dry season. Some of the characteristics of the baobab tree include;
The baobab tree is one of the largest trees in the world due to its large size.
It is native to Africa and is found mainly in the islands of madagascar and at least in Tanzania, Kenya n.k.
The tree contains fruits that are eaten by various wildlife as well as humans.
The flowers of the baobab tree are white in color and sprout from the branches and hang downwards
-The baobab is known to live for many years for example In the Mikumi national park, there is a baobab tree that is estimated to live more than three hundred years ago.
What kind of animal is an elephant?
Elephants are among the largest wildlife species found in the mammal population (animals that breed and suckle).
-The elephant has a large body, a long sisal that works well with big ears.
-The elephants are gray in color, with a few hairs on their bodies and a long black tail at the end.
_Effles of both sexes have elephants, but for males elephants appear to be larger.
-Elephants are among the animals that live in different environments, such as savanna, tropical areas, etc. And their dispersal is mainly caused by the available water level.
-Elephants eat many kinds of grass.
-They are often seen living in groups of 2 to 50, especially in the rainy season and are divided during the dry season.
Reasons for elephants to love baobab trees.
1-Getting water during a drought.
The baobab trees are well-known for storing large amounts of water, so during the dry season most elephants prefer to absorb water from the trees after peeling and damaging the bark.
2- The presence of many nutrients as well as vitamins (vitamin C) that are essential for the growth of the elephant. These nutrients are found during droughts. The dry season is not very easy to find in other foods that elephants eat. And so it is called a healthy diet.
3- The flour contained in the baobab fruit is rich in nutrients. Thus, during the dry season the fruit of the baobab tree falls off and elephants trample and break the fruit to get its contents.
4-The baobab has soft foliage and fruit in the rainy season which is suitable for animals to eat, especially elephants. The smoothness of the baobab leaves reduces the ability to digest and absorb nutrients.
5-The bark of the baobab tree tastes like watermelon so elephants prefer to eat it as food during the drought. Pomegranate seeds also contain fats and carbohydrates, which are essential for the health of elephants.
7-Helps shade the elephant especially during the dry season.
8 The fiber found in baobabs helps in the digestion and improvement of the digestive system in elephants.
How baobabs benefit from Elephants
Elephants help the dispersal of the baobab seeds faster and cause these trees to germinate and spread in different places and reduce the effects of extinction of this vegetation. That is why the areas where most elephants have the highest vegetation are high.
_ Due to the hardness of the baobab seeds, elephants help to soften the seeds during digestion and thus cause the seeds to germinate faster during the rainy season.
-Elephants have leafy feces and some foods that are not properly digested. This helps in the acquisition of fertilizers that support and accelerate the growth of plants like pumpkins.
Impact of the relationship between elephants and baobab trees.
-Elephants in the summer get their water by sucking water from the calves and due to the size of the animal the elephant also needs water.
is enough. This causes the tree to become dehydrated, dry and fall off.
-In addition to this, the baobab tree, due to its weight, can sometimes fall on the elephant and injure the scalp and other body parts and lead to the death of the elephant.
My call to government and environmental stakeholders.
-Encourage and monitor the conservation and preservation of baobab trees as they are essential for elephant life as well as ecology in general.
-Develop laws and regulations for the management and monitoring of baobab vegetation in our reserves and strategize for the growth of baobab trees.
-Encourage the conservation and protection of elephants as well as the eradication of poaching, as elephants and baobabs together are proud and represent Africa.
Thank you very much for reading this article, for questions, comments, suggestions and suggestions about this article do not hesitate to contact the author.