There’s nothing more heart-warming than a love story, but when
that love story involves animals – well, it’s enough to make even
the coldest heart melt! Animals lovers were really touched by a
recent news story spotted in The Times about a long, laborious
journey of love undertaken by a wild elephant in the depths of
Africa.
The bull elephant named Morgan has stunned the science community
by undertaking an epic journey from Kenya to Somalia in the
scorching heat. He marched for more than 215km along the coast –
traversing some of the most dangerous landscapes imaginable for
these large beasts – before entering Somalia nearly three weeks
later.
But it’s not only the length of the journey that is of
significance; this also marks the first time an elephant has been
confirmed inside Somalia for more than 20 years. This gives hope to
the wildlife community that if security measures are improved,
elephants could be introduced back into the country.
Scientists have been able to track Morgan’s progress thanks to a
radio collar fitted to his neck in 2015. At 30 years old, it seems
he was finally ready to seek out his true love in what charity Save
the Elephants has called “one of the most exceptional elephant
movements recorded.”
Morgan, clearly a highly intelligent animal, was discovered to
be making his journey under the cover of darkness. Researchers
believe that he was potentially aware of the dangers he faced
during the day – specifically from poachers – and so chose to make
his way at night, covering between 19km and 24km every evening
before taking shelter in thickets and forests during daylight
hours.
Elephant poaching is a major problem in this area of the world.
Statistics show that in the early 1970s there were over 20,000
elephants to be found along Morgan’s path, but now that figure has
dropped to as few as 300. This could be the catalyst behind
Morgan’s mission: to find a mate against all odds. And when it
comes to the ancient route he took, it just goes to show that an
elephant never forgets!
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, the founder of Save the Elephants, said
it was likely that Morgan was “ranging across the country trying to
pick up the scent of the tracks of a female.”
We really hope Morgan finds love and manages to stay out of
danger. It’s a sad fact that so many of these magnificent creatures
are killed for their ivory and other reasons – which is why we’re
fully supportive of Save the Elephants and many other charities
working to protect these animals.
At Noah’s Ark we’ve created an Elephant Eden for Janu and
M’Changa, our two African elephants. The enclosure offers all the
stimulation and space our wonderful elephants deserve and also acts
as an important resource for scientists looking to better
understand the social interactions of elephants and their
behaviour.
