Both male and female African elephants have tusks

Yes, they do! Species of both sexes use their tusks to dig for food or water, while males can also use tusks to battle their rivals, but the ivory has also attracted violence of a far more dangerous sort.

Have you ever heard about an elephant without tusks? In most cases, elephants lose their tusks because of some greedy people. Ivory is so valuable to some humans that many elephants have been killed for their tusks. This trade is illegal today, but it has not been completely eliminated. That is why some African elephant populations still remain endangered.

This might be interesting: Actually, tuskless elephants do exist but they do not have tusks due to genetics.

More Info: animals.nationalgeographic.com

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

35 Comments

Sean Philips

Say NO to ivory!

ninakamwene

Thank you for this very important topic about Elephants. They are becoming extinct because of human greed, especially poachers who sell to China. I am Kenyan and have seen these majestic animals near my village by Mt. Kenya. Let us NOT support any country/person that uses any part of this animal. It is our totem Land energy beam, and as it goes so will land humans. Thank you.

Larry W. Jones

Read the challenge again. The word "African" is definitely there. Attention to detail, mate.

Ian Swindale

The trade in tusks for the ivory trade is sickening and big herds of elephants are being decimated. Even countries like Botswana which have up until now escaped this horror are finding they have a problem. What makes it worse is that in many cases the poachers are receiving help from the very people who are there to protect these wonderful animals - park rangers and or their staff.

d p catalano

I live about 6 blocks from San Diego Zoo. The elephant enclosure is my place of solace. They are very emotional and sensitive animals with a kindness i cherish. They are great listeners.😎

Anne Williams

These majestic animals, coupled with others such as rhinos and buffalo, are low built to keep the the bush down, thereby reducing brush fires. Greed has everything to do with reductions of our herds both here in the U.S. and abroad in various areas of the world. Money needs to start flooding in to stop. Greed will splinter. Hopefully before we completely let our wild breeds collapse and die. We’ve already allowed it to happen so many times-once just recently with a rhino breed in Africa.

Eileen Dunn

Hate the thought of these noble animals ,being killed for ivory.

ninakamwene

Lynne Zeman, NOT true, in Kenya and Africa, cubs are born without tusks, they grow as the baby grows. Hold these majestic mammals in your prayers.

marilynmitri

I'm with Ninakamwene. Elephants are highly intelligent, communicate with each other, and have a strong family life. How dare we destroy them!! Would we like to be hunted for our hair? Its about the same!

marilynmitri

I love elephants. They are another kind of people, in baggy gray skins. They have strong family ties, and all of them love the babies. If the baby loses his mama, he may die of a broken heart.

✨KRISTA✨

How about some punctuation at the end of this claim?✍️

dsneed

Saw a nature show recently that showed a herd of elephants, males and females, all with trunks. Yay me.

Lydia Wood

Baby elephants tug at my heart strings! Sniff

stellaclaude

The mistreatment of our animals has to stop! Greediness is ruining our planet!

Christopher John Goddard

ninakamwene, my ex wife is from Meru, she told me of many terrible things done to harvest ivory,such a waste, and such a magnificent animal.

jack patti go

No ivory for me! Stealing their tusks, is horrible!

Christine Gardner

"NO" to ivory trade :( And yet again another TRUE answer …… no getting this one wrong.

Sue Fairweather

got it

Jas Newman

ninakamwene, Not to advocate killing elephants, but the countries with thriving elephant populations are those that permit legal controlled hunting. When your country destroys tons of tusks, it merely drives up the black market price of ivory and increases the motivation for poaching.