Elephants eat roots, grasses, fruit and bark. And they eat a lot of these things.An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food ina single day. These hungry animals do not sleep much, and they roam over great distances while foraging for the large quantities of food that they require tosustain their massive bodies. Female elephants live in family herds with their young, but adult males tend to roam on their own.

Having a baby elephant is a serious commitment. Elephants have a longer pregnancythan any other mammal, almost 22 months. Cows usuakky give birth to one calf every two to four years. At birth, elephants already weigh some 200 pounds (91 kilogram) and stand about 3 feet (1 meter) tall.

African elephants, unlike their Asian Relatives, are not easily domesticated. Theyrange throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the rain forest of central and West Africa.The continent’s northernmost elephants are found in Mali’s sahel desert. The small, The continent’s northernmost elephants are found in Mali’s sahel desert. The small, nomadic herd of Mali elephants migrates in a cirular route through the desert insearch of water.

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For many centuries, humans have been the rulers of planet Earth, the top predator of all food chains. Humans think of themselves as the best, the most important, but this is incorrect. Since the beginning of the Earth, nature has played an important role in the development of the world, and in the development of itself. They say there were times that humans and animals worked together with and alongside the planet, but those times are gone. Humans are destroying the planet and the animals as well, killing them for food, gone. Humans are destroying the planet and the animals as well, killing them for food, or for a sport. We are polluting the world we were given, we are killing the thing that sustains us.

Humans aren’t only killing the planet; they are killing the other habitants of Earth. Animals suffer everyday because of the stupid actions made by the humans. Deforestation has left millions of animals homeless, and oil spills kill many species of sea-life and diving birds. There are a countless number of animals on the endangered species list, and not only the animals that humans consider dangerous and aggressive. We need to save the only the animals that humans consider dangerous and aggressive. We need to save the animals as well as ourselves, because without them, the planet would be in trouble.

Luckily, there are some people that are trying to get the planet to where it once was: charities and donations which contribute to the safety of animals; scientists and inventors that develop different ways for the humans to once again live in peace and harmony with the Earth; researchers that spend years in the forests learning about their surroundings. These are the people that will someday make the future bright, but imagine if the entire world joined these few people, future bright, but imagine if the entire world joined these few people, how we would be happier, and how the Earth would be happier. Maybe we can’t immediately become one of these people, but there are many ways in which we can help. We can save energy so less coal would have to be wasted, or switch to an environmentally friendly energy source, such as wind or sunlight. Don’t dump litter anywhere, dispose of it carefully. Speak up for those that can’t anywhere, dispose of it carefully. Speak up for those that can’t speak, tell people about the problems, and maybe someday it will reach someone that can completely make a difference, but all the little steps count. Maybe you will think of this the next time you throw your fizzy drink can on the street.

Save the Earth, Save Ourselves

Text: Umpaloompa from Tesara, Brazil

Text: National GeografhicPhoto: Anders Petersson, Sweden