At Terra Natura Benidorm we are joining in today’s celebration of International Elephant Day to raise awareness of the conservation problems suffered by this species, which is in danger of extinction according to the IUCN and has been included in Appendix I of CITES since 1975. The park currently has a group of four Asian elephants.

It is estimated that there are only 63,000 of them, of which 46,000 are in the wild.

We have made activities to commemorate International Elephant Day, which will take place throughout this week.

Specifically, an information stand has been set up in the Asia area with biological materials, educational games and information about the habits, characteristics and threats of elephants, as well as some particularities of the elephants that live in Terra Natura Benidorm.

An educational workshop has also been set up for children so that they can learn to differentiate between the different species of elephants, such as the Asian and African elephants, and their respective characteristics. Talks will also be given in order to raise social awareness of the threats suffered by pachyderms in the wild.

The female elephants of Terra Natura Benidorm

The park has two pairs of female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), which occupy different meadows. They weigh between 3,500 and 3,800 kilos each, and are between 39 and 52 years old. One pair consists of Petita and Kaiso, the other of Momo and Lagran.

The elephants in each pair are inseparable and depend on each other. They keep each other company and only feel at ease when they are together. So much so that when they have a vet check-up, nail trimming, hygiene and even when they sleep, they have to be together or at least very close to each other.

Our team of veterinarians and zoo keepers carry out environmental enrichment to stimulate the intelligence and creativity of the elephants, mixing and incorporating elements that alter the usual distribution of their installation. In addition, olfactory stimulation such as scents, spices such as cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg, among other actions, are placed in the environment.

Main threats

The main threats to Asian elephants are habitat loss and fragmentation, human-elephant conflict, poaching for ivory and illegal trade. As elephant habitats decrease and become fragmented, human-elephant interaction increases, leading to increased human-elephant conflict, resulting in fatalities on both sides.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) explicitly banned international trade in ivory in 1989. Today, however, there are unregulated markets catering to demand from Asian countries.

Countries such as Thailand have pushed for the adoption and enforcement of legislation to help curb illegal ivory trade. Others such as India, Vietnam and Myanmar have banned the capture of elephants for trade and use as a means of transport or cargo, or for entertainment purposes.