#pachyderm — Public Fediverse posts

#Fediverse-Client/App #Pachli

Die App Pachli für #Android entstand 2023 auf Basis von #Tusky in Version 23 und nutzt die #Mastodon-#Client-#API, um sich mit Konten auf kompatiblen Instanzen zu verbinden.

Das Projekt wurde von Nik Clayton gestartet, einem Entwickler, der zuvor zu Tusky 22.0 und 23.0 beigetragen hatte.

Pachli ist ein Kofferwort abgeleitet aus "Pach" (von "#Pachyderm", vgl. Dickhäuter bzw. #Pachydermata) und der schweizerdeutschen Verkleinerungsform bzw. Endung "li" (weil Nik Clayton dort lebt).

Da Pachlis Entwicklung auf Tusky basiert, weist Pachli viele Funktionen auf, unterstützt etwa auch vorgeplante Beiträge und bietet die Unterstützung für mehrere Konten. Auch die Pflege des eigenen Profils ist direkt über Pachli möglich.

Naturgemäß ähnelt Pachli dem Klassiker Tusky, weicht aber bereits in einigen Punkten ab, etwa bei der Funktion zum permanenten Nachladen der Zeitleisten im Hintergrund.

Website des Projekts:
https://pachli.app/

Pachli im Fediverse:
@[email protected]

Large herbivores such as elephants contribute to tree diversity

A recent study using satellite data has highlighted the critical role that large herbivores play in promoting tree diversity in forest ecosystems. The research showed that areas with abundant large herbivores like elephants had more varied tree cover and more tree diversity. This finding underscores the importance of large herbivores in many ecosystems and that they should have primary importance in conservation strategies, particularly in the context of global efforts to combat climate change and extinction. Help big herbivores every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!

Recent #research finds that lots of large #herbivores like #elephants 🦏🐘help plant #biodiversity in rainforests! Help big plant eaters and #plants to survive! 🐘🩶#Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🧐🪔⛔️ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB

Soulful #elephants 🐘💗 are not only intelligent, they add more tree cover and #tree diversity, finds this landmark #study. All #elephant species are threatened by #palmoil #deforestation and #poaching for ivory. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🔥⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB

Cover image credit: A Sumatran elephant enjoys a playful river dip, by Craig Jones Wildlife Photography

Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.

Maintaining species-rich and resilient ecosystems is key to preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Here, megafauna — the part of the animal population in an area that is made up of the largest animals — plays an important role. In a new study published in the scientific journal One Earth, an international research team, of which Lund University is a part, has investigated the intricate interplay between the number of voracious herbivores like elephants and the diversity of trees in the world’s protected areas.

“Our findings reveal a fascinating and complex story of how large herbivorous animals shape the world’s natural landscapes. The tree cover in these areas is sparser, but the diversity of the tree cover is much higher than in areas without large herbivores,” says Lanhui Wang, a researcher in physical geography and ecosystem science at Lund University.

“In our global analysis, we find a substantial association between the biomass of large herbivores and varied tree cover in protected areas, notably for browsers and mixed-feeders such as elephants, bison and moose and in non-extreme climates,” explains the study’s senior author, Jens-Christian Svenning, professor at Aarhus University.

Hereby, the study supports that large wild herbivores promote a diverse vegetation structure, creating a rich habitat for many other species. This is due to the animals’ consumption of vegetation as well as physical disturbances.

According to Lanhui Wang, these new research findings highlight the need to integrate large herbivores into restoration and conservation strategies. Not only for the sake of the animals themselves but also for the vital role they play in shaping landscapes and influencing biodiversity. The researchers argue that this aspect is not sufficiently considered within the framework of sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration.

“At a time when global initiatives are intensely focused on combating climate change and biodiversity loss, our findings highlight the need for a broader and more nuanced discussion about ecosystem management and conservation measures. It is of utmost importance to integrate understanding of the ecological impact of megafauna into this,” says Lanhui Wang.

The UN has declared the 2020s as the decade of ecosystem restoration. In total, 115 countries have agreed to restore up to 100,000 square kilometres of nature in total. To achieve this, more wild-living large herbivores are needed worldwide, says Lanhui Wang.

“I believe that we will need to protect and conserve large herbivores to achieve the UN goals. Megafauna are crucial for tree cover, which in turn promotes carbon sequestration and a diversity of habitats,” says Lanhui Wang.

Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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• Facebook
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• Mail
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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

African Forest Elephants Help Fight Climate Change

Discover the awe-inspiring role of African forest #elephants in the Congo Basin—nature’s master gardeners who literally shape the world around them! These gentle giants roam through muddy, mineral-rich paradises called baïs, fostering the growth of carbon-absorbing trees that make our planet healthier. By tending to these unique landscapes, they are the unsung heroes in the fight against climate change. Want to ensure these ecological architects keep doing their vital work? Join the movement to protect their habitat—say no to palm oil and adopt a vegan lifestyle! 🐘🌳#BoycottPalmOil #BeVegan #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/s584AP-BYm0?si=Zrwc5CFFjAxAqmas

Take action by sharing this!

African forest #elephants 🐘 in #Congo 🇨🇩 are essential to fighting #climatechange 🌳💚 by capturing #carbon and dispersing seeds in the rainforest. Help them every time you shop, be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/04/28/african-forest-elephants-unsung-heroes-helping-congo-fight-climate-change/

Gentle giant pachyderms #African forest #elephants 🐘🐘 are the unsung heroes helping #climatechange. They capture #carbon in the #DRC’s 🇨🇩🌳rainforest! Help them survive with your supermarket choices #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/04/28/african-forest-elephants-unsung-heroes-helping-congo-fight-climate-change/

This story was written by Leonie Joubert and originally published by Mongabay on August 15, 2023 and was republished under a Creative Commons licence.

The approach to the “village of elephants” in the Sangha Rainforest in the Central African Republic must be made in complete silence. Not even the faintest rustle of backpack on rain jacket should break the soundscape as visitors wade through the sometimes waist-deep swamp at the forest’s edge. The Indigenous Ba’aka guides must be able to listen for any signs of nearby elephants, so they can steer the visitors clear and avoid a close encounter with these giants. When a few pachyderms saunter out of the dense greenery, the Ba’aka shoo them away calmly.

The thick vegetation gives way suddenly to a baï. This is no mere watering hole. The sandy clearing stretches for half a kilometer, more than a quarter of a mile, in the otherwise unbroken canopy of the world’s second-largest tropical forest.

A handful of researchers camp out on a timber observation platform, overlooking a place that has drawn generations of elephants to its mineral- and salt-laden sand and muddy water. They document how the animals use their trunks or tusks to dig into the sand, eavesdrop on the animals’ conversations, and count the many other species that congregate here.

This is Dzanga baï, a meeting place for critically endangered African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in the Dzanga-Sangha Complex of Protected Areas where these animals come together in huge numbers to dig for nutrients they can’t get from the otherwise abundant forests.

Baïs are unique to the Congo Basin’s forests, and new research is underway to understand the role these mineral-rich pockets play as a supplement to the elephants’ diet, how this sustains the animals’ population, and how they therefore contribute to the carbon-capture function of the forest.

Unlike the Amazon, the Congo Basin’s forests still have their original megafauna, elephants in particular. And they have these salt-rich clearings. Conservationists are beginning to understand the importance of elephants as forest gardeners here, and how their taste for certain trees and fruits has sculpted a forest that absorbs more carbon per hectare than the Amazon.

The Global Carbon Budget project estimated Africa’s total greenhouse gas emissions for 2021 at 1.45 billion metric tons. Every year, the Congo Basin’s forests soak up 1.1 billion metric tons of atmospheric carbon, storing it in trees and soil; in 2020 carbon credit prices, this service would be worth $55 billion.

Forest elephants, smaller than their better-known savanna cousins or even Asian elephants, prefer certain lower-growing, tasty trees. This picky browsing pressure creates gaps in the canopy that allow other, less palatable but carbon-dense species to reach tremendous heights. Elephants’ appetite for the fruit of these bigger trees then means they spread their seeds far and wide.

A 2019 study from the Ndoki Forest in the Republic of Congo (ROC) and LuiKotale in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) estimated that if elephants were removed from these sites, the loss of their forest-shaping food preferences would reduce the forest’s carbon capture by 7%.

This finding makes a case not only to stop deforestation in the Congo Basin, but to protect the elephants too, as a way to slow climate breakdown, the study authors wrote.

Salt licks for elephants, gardeners of the forest

Mouangi baï is only about 250 km (155 mi) from Dzanga baï as the crow flies, but it takes a day or two to travel by road and river to get from one to the other.

Researchers with the conservation organization African Parks and Harvard University’s Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology are zeroing in on Mouangi and other baïs in Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the ROC, to clarify the link between baïs, elephants and the forest’s tree species composition.

Nicknamed Capitale by the locals, Mouangi baï in Odzala draws hundreds, maybe even thousands, of elephants, according to Gwili Gibbon, research and monitoring head at African Parks, which manages the park along with the ROC government.

“Mouangi is one of our largest and most renowned baïs,” Gibbon says.

At the intersection of two rivers, Mouangi is more than 1 km (0.6 mi) across and spans 91 hectares (225 acres). It’s the largest of a dozen of Odzala’s baïs that the African Parks and Harvard research collaboration is focusing on.

Odzala-Kokoua National Park extends across 1.35 million hectares (3.34 million acres), and while it has a few thousand baïs, often occurring in clusters within the forest, this ecosystem makes up only about 0.2% of the park’s footprint. Nevertheless, these clearings may be integral to the shape of the forest itself, which is why Harvard assistant professor Andrew Davies and doctoral researcher Evan Hockridge are teaming up with African Parks to understand the importance of the salty watering holes in supporting elephant populations, which then shape the forest mosaic.

The baïs are clearly a hotspot that elephants seek out for their rare minerals in an ecosystem rooted in the nutrient-poor soils typical of the region.

“The elephants use their tusks to scrape topsoil off in specific areas, and eat the finer dust on the surface,” says Hockridge, a landscape ecologist. “They also dig large mining sites or wells, as much as a meter [3 feet] deep.”

The animals’ excavations go even deeper at times, down to where water carries the salt in a more accessible form. The need to ingest the mineral-rich dust, mud and water keeps the animals returning to these sites.

But how the baïs formed in the first place — they’re present in the Congo Basin, but not in the Amazon — and why they remain clear of forest encroachment are still a mystery.

Hockridge says no one has tried to establish if the now-extinct megafauna of the Amazon once made similar clearings there, or if baï size correlates to the size of the animals visiting them.

“One hypothesis is that megafauna effectively create large, nutrient-rich, lick-like clearings. But it hasn’t been quantified that baïs are manufactured or maintained by megafauna,” he says.

The researchers say they hope to answer this puzzle: Do large mammals like elephants maintain and stabilize the baïs?

Anecdotes from the DRC might give the first glimpse of an answer, according to Harvard’s Davies.

“Baïs may be closing in the DRC, and it could be because the elephants are in a war zone, so they don’t have the big bulldozer effect,” he says.

The hypothesis is that if fewer elephants visit and maintain these clearings, the baïs will be swallowed up by the forest.

Gibbon’s African Parks team has set up experimental plots in the Odzala, where they’ve buried salt in the sand at a similar depth to which elephants excavate. Researchers are monitoring these sites to see if more animals will congregate around the plots, whether this impacts the vegetation cover in and around the baïs, and whether there’s a shift in the carbon-capture potential of the surrounding forests.

This study is centered in Odzala, although the researchers say they hope to expand the work into the Ndoki region of the Dzanga-Sangha Complex of Protected Areas.

Baïs have a busy social scene

It isn’t just elephants that congregate at the baïs. These watering holes have a bustling social scene.

Gibbon describes the flocks of African green pigeons (Treron calvus) that gather at Capitale at dawn and dusk; buffalo and several bird species that visit during daylight hours; and the hyenas that can be heard calling after dark as the elephants mine for salt.

Wildlife refuges like these in the Congo Basin are also home to the critically endangered western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), two unusual forest and swamp-dwelling antelope — the bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) and sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii) — as well as central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes), bonobos (Pan pansicus), and the endangered gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus).

The forests of Gabon, southern Cameroon and southern Central African Republic also have a high number of baïs, and the findings from these studies could eventually be extrapolated to give an idea of the implications for the Congo Basin more widely.

“The area that baïs’ cover is tiny, but they sustain the elephant population,” Davies says. “If our hypothesis is correct, without the baïs you’d have no elephants; without elephants there’s be no big trees with high carbon density, so carbon storage would go down.”

If the forest loses the baïs, it could lose more than just the elephants or see a change in its carbon-capturing treescape. The baïs would no longer draw the many other animals that thrive in these mineral-dense watering holes, and the tourists and environmental researchers drawn to them too.

Citation:

Berzaghi, F., Longo, M., Ciais, P., Blake, S., Bretagnolle, F., Vieira, S., … Doughty, C. E. (2019). Carbon stocks in central African forests enhanced by elephant disturbance. Nature Geoscience, 12(9), 725-729. doi:10.1038/s41561-019-0395-6

Banner image: Elephants dig for salt-rich mud in the Dzanga baï in the Sangha Rainforest in the Central African Republic. Image courtesy Jan Teede.

This story was written by Leonie Joubert and originally published by Mongabay on August 15, 2023 and was republished under a Creative Commons licence.

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis

Keep reading

Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Keep reading

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Keep reading

Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense

Keep reading

Southern Pudu Pudu puda

Keep reading

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#african #africanForestElephantLoxodontaCyclotis #amazingAnimals #animalBehaviour #animalCommunication #animalIntelligence #bantrophyhunting #bevegan #biodiversity #boycottPalmOil #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #carbon #climatechange #congo #deforestation #democracticRepublicOfCongo #drc #elephant #elephants #forgottenAnimals #mammal #pachyderm #pachyderms #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #theDemocraticRepublicOfCongo #vegan

#Fediverse-Client/App #Pachli

Die App Pachli für #Android entstand 2023 auf Basis von #Tusky in Version 23 und nutzt die #Mastodon-#Client-#API, um sich mit Konten auf kompatiblen Instanzen zu verbinden.

Das Projekt wurde von Nik Clayton gestartet, einem Entwickler, der zuvor zu Tusky 22.0 und 23.0 beigetragen hatte.

Pachli ist ein Kofferwort abgeleitet aus "Pach" (von "#Pachyderm", vgl. Dickhäuter bzw. #Pachydermata) und der schweizerdeutschen Verkleinerungsform bzw. Endung "li" (weil Nik Clayton dort lebt).

Da Pachlis Entwicklung auf Tusky basiert, weist Pachli viele Funktionen auf, unterstützt etwa auch vorgeplante Beiträge und bietet die Unterstützung für mehrere Konten. Auch die Pflege des eigenen Profils ist direkt über Pachli möglich.

Naturgemäß ähnelt Pachli dem Klassiker Tusky, weicht aber bereits in einigen Punkten ab, etwa bei der Funktion zum permanenten Nachladen der Zeitleisten im Hintergrund.

Website des Projekts:
https://pachli.app/

Pachli im Fediverse:
@[email protected]

A friendly Loxodon priest! My latest gym sketch

#loxodon #elephant #dnd #roleplay #roleplaying #traditionalart #art #artwork #pen #sketch #furry #anthro #sfw #sfwart #sfwartwork #pachyderm #solo #design #oc #characterdesign #tusk #ornate #cleric #priest #fantasy

A friendly Loxodon priest! My latest gym sketch

#loxodon #elephant #dnd #roleplay #roleplaying #traditionalart #art #artwork #pen #sketch #furry #anthro #sfw #sfwart #sfwartwork #pachyderm #solo #design #oc #characterdesign #tusk #ornate #cleric #priest #fantasy

A friendly Loxodon priest! My latest gym sketch

#loxodon #elephant #dnd #roleplay #roleplaying #traditionalart #art #artwork #pen #sketch #furry #anthro #sfw #sfwart #sfwartwork #pachyderm #solo #design #oc #characterdesign #tusk #ornate #cleric #priest #fantasy

A friendly Loxodon priest! My latest gym sketch

#loxodon #elephant #dnd #roleplay #roleplaying #traditionalart #art #artwork #pen #sketch #furry #anthro #sfw #sfwart #sfwartwork #pachyderm #solo #design #oc #characterdesign #tusk #ornate #cleric #priest #fantasy

Happy World Rhino Day 2023! #rhino #rhinoceros #pachyderm #megaherbivores #whiterhino #blackrhino #indianrhino #javanrhino #sumatranrhino

New counter under construction.

#Arete #AlexanderTheGreat #Wargaming #Wargames #HexAndCounter #pachyderm

🥥 Please tell me if #Mastodon's little yellow star symbol for "Favorite" is NOT like the heart symbol on other social media. I've been liberally using the star to indicate that I "like" a toot, and noticing that very few others are doing the same.
Are #pachyderm people just less effusive in their praise of things they like, or am I that big of an outlier? 🥥

My youngest gifted me a tiny #Pachyderm this weekend he carved from soapstone ❤️ 🐘 I love my wee #elephant so much—he will be good company at the office!

@tprophet seems to me you guys are going #backwards so fast I wonder if we need to give you lessons on #killing very large #Pachyderm type animals for food since soon you'll all be cavepersons named Ugh. President Joe Ugh, Governor Ron diSantugh etc.

I'm offering of course because #Australia leads the universe in #mammalian #slaughter and eventual #extinction so we have the #runs on the board to help.

LoL. Leaders of the free world... which universe?

#PostageStamps #USPS #Stamps #Philately #Elephants #Pachyderm #Nature

Dem pachyderms sure proliferate!

#3dprinting #3dprinted #toocutetotoot #pachyderm

Posting a few older pics to show potential new followers what I do. Sorry about the spam! #furry #furryart #elephant #hippo #rhino #pachyderm

@JohnMastodon
It's interesting reading through these posts. Every one speaks of love, care and respect especially I guess considering a founding parent of the #fediverse which should really have the odd genuflection etc, maybe a miracle but you know what I mean.

I wonder what would happen in the #twatterverse

I'm not big on thoughts and prayers but as a parent of 26 I feel your concern and reach out in #pachyderm support.

@mmasnick Or what about #pachyderm? Y'know those giant extinct mammals? #Twittermigration #Twitter #FriendsofJohn

Oh, lovely. #Tusky has changed its #Android #icon from actual #tusks to a #pachyderm with blue #toots emerging from its trunk.

Not that I object; I actually have no opinion as yet. 🤔 It was just a bit of a surprise to see the new icon in my #notifications and on my screen.

Perhaps this new version allows following #hashtags.

One thing about that which I *haven't* seen in #Mastodon is "what's the list of tags I'm following?" 🤔

#earlydays Checking in on the first folks who reached out to me when I climbed aboard the big blue #pachyderm

Whatcha'll up to?
@ElesDuran
@Sculls12
@JayMuir
@StevenSenski
@DoucheBaggins
@Joneshospodtx
@DemocraticQueen
@stopgopfox
@DarbyTL
@graciegato
@tomp
@wasootch
@RogueDharmaBum
@PerplexingSophistry
@idlehand
@CV_81
@mmiasma

Fancy a bit of #pachyderm #fun? @billygannon had the brilliant idea of starting a #MastodonStoryChain , a form of round-robin story (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round-robin_story). We're only two days in—it starts here: https://mastodon.ie/@billygannon/109387186262477465
Thus far, 11 of us have signed up to play, and you can join! Just ask @billygannon to add you to the roster (there is a form, to stave off chaos).
Of course, you can also just sit back and watch the tale unfold… 😉
#storytelling #fiction #narrative #diversion #writing

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

Location: Central and West Africa – Guineo-Congolian tropical forests, including Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and surrounding regions.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered

The African Forest #Elephant is a Critically Endangered species found in the dense #rainforests of Central and #WestAfrica. They are smaller than their savanna relatives, with straighter tusks and rounder ears, uniquely adapted to their forested habitat. As ecosystem engineers, these elephants play a crucial role in maintaining Afrotropical forests by dispersing seeds and mitigating against climate change by shaping forest composition. However, relentless #poaching for ivory, habitat destruction due to #palmoil, #cocoa and #tobacco agriculture, and human-elephant conflict have decimated their population. Recent studies have shown that African Forest Elephants’ movement patterns vary significantly between individuals, with some elephants exploring vast distances while others remain in small home ranges. This variation poses unique challenges for conservation efforts. Resist and fight for their survival each time you shop, be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://youtu.be/cldLHm2-pnQ

African Forest #Elephants are ecosystem engineers fighting #ClimateChange in #WestAfrica. Yet #poaching and #palmoil #deforestation have rendered them critically endangered 😿🐘 Help them and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/09/11/african-forest-elephant-loxodonta-cyclotis/

Supremely intelligent and sensitive African Forest #Elephants 🐘🩶 face several grave threats, incl. #PalmOil #Deforestation and #poaching in #Gabon 🇬🇦 #Congo 🇨🇩 #WestAfrica. Fight for them when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🔥🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/09/11/african-forest-elephant-loxodonta-cyclotis/

Rapid land use change, including palm oil plantations across their range is driving the direct loss and fragmentation of habitat, is an increasing threat to African elephants across their range.

IUCN red list

Appearance and Behaviour

African Forest Elephants are smaller than their savanna counterparts, with a shoulder height of 2 to 3 metres. They have a more compact build, rounded ears, and long, narrow tusks that point downward, (Gobush et al., 2021). Their grey skin is often darker due to the humid rainforest environment. They live in small, matriarchal family groups and display remarkable individual variation in movement behaviours. Some elephants, known as “explorers,” travel vast distances, while others, the “idlers,” remain within confined home ranges. These behavioural differences complicate conservation efforts, as strategies must account for their diverse space-use needs.

These elephants are highly intelligent and social, living in small, matriarchal family groups that navigate the rainforest together. Their deep infrasonic rumbles travel through the ground, allowing communication over vast distances, even in the thickest jungle. Recent research has revealed that their vocalisations have a structure akin to human syntax—complex combinations of calls used to convey intricate meanings (Hedwig & Kohlberg, 2024).

Other research has found that the foraging, seed dispersal and exploration of African Forest Elephants helps to mitigate African forests against climate change. A 2019 study from the Ndoki Forest in the Republic of Congo (ROC) and LuiKotale in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) estimated that if elephants were removed from these sites, the loss of their forest-shaping food preferences would reduce the forest’s carbon capture by 7%.

Diet

Forest Elephants are frugivorous and play an irreplaceable role as seed dispersers, particularly for large fruiting trees. They are responsible for spreading the seeds of over 41 timber species, including Bobgunnia fistuloides (pao rosa), a tree prized for its high-value wood (Blake et al., 2009; Campos-Arceiz & Blake, 2011). Without these elephants, the rainforest’s ability to regenerate and store carbon would be drastically diminished.

Reproduction and Mating

With a gestation period of 22 months—the longest of any land mammal—female African Forest elephants give birth only once every four to six years (Gobush et al., 2021). Due to their slow reproductive rate, population recovery is incredibly difficult, making conservation efforts even more urgent. Calves remain under their mother’s care for over a decade, learning crucial survival skills in the rainforest.

Geographic Range

African Forest Elephants roam vast home ranges, some spanning over 2,000 km² (Beirne et al., 2021). Their movements are largely dictated by fruiting cycles, water availability, and human encroachment. A recent study found that they exhibit remarkable individual variation in movement patterns—some acting as ‘explorers,’ roaming far and wide, while others remain within familiar territories (Beirne et al., 2021). Roads and logging concessions disrupt these traditional routes, forcing elephants into human settlements and escalating conflict.

Threats

• Illegal Wildlife Trade and Poaching: The illegal and criminal trade in elephant ivory continues to drive rampant poaching. Despite international bans, demand remains high in black markets (Wittemyer et al., 2014; Maisels et al., 2013).
• Palm Oil Agriculture Expansion: Forests are being obliterated for palm oil, cocoa, tobacco and rubber plantations, erasing habitat at an alarming rate (Scalbert et al., 2022).
• Logging, Mining, and Infrastructure Expansion: The development of roads and infrastructure for timber and mining grants poachers greater access to once-inaccessible forest areas (Beirne et al., 2021).
• Human-Elephant Conflict: Shrinking forests push elephants into farmland, leading to fatal clashes with farmers trying to protect their crops (Ngama et al., 2016).
• Climate Change: Disruptions in rainfall patterns and fruiting cycles impact the food supply of African Forest Elephants, forcing them into riskier migration routes where they can come into contact with poachers or conflict with farmers.
• Slow Reproduction Rate: African Forest Elephants have a long gestation periods and high calf mortality, their populations cannot recover quickly from losses.

Elephants and Language: Call Combinations and Syntax

Groundbreaking research has revealed that African Forest Elephants use complex call combinations, akin to human syntax, to communicate in high-stakes situations (Hedwig & Kohlberg, 2024). Their vocal repertoire includes:

• Low-frequency rumbles: Used to coordinate movements and social interactions. These deep sounds can travel several kilometres through dense rainforest.
• Broadband roars: Express distress, urgency, or aggression, particularly in response to predators or conflict.
• Combined calls: When rumbles and roars are merged, they create new meanings. These combinations are more frequently used in competitive situations, suggesting that elephants alter their vocal signals to convey specific messages in dangerous or high-emotion contexts.

The ability to combine calls strategically may help elephants navigate social disputes, secure access to resources, or reunite with separated family members. This discovery sheds light on the cognitive abilities of these animals and their sophisticated social lives.

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African Forest Elephants and Timber Concessions

Timber and palm oil concessions now cover vast portions of forest elephant habitat, with little understanding of how these logging operations impact elephant populations (Scalbert et al., 2022). While elephants can persist in selectively logged forests, they require large, undisturbed areas to sustain viable populations. Key findings include:

• African Forest Elephants regenerate forests: By dispersing seeds of high-carbon tree species, they facilitate the regrowth of timber species, making their role essential for maintaining the economic value of these forests.
• Logging alters movement patterns: While some elephants adapt to fragmented landscapes, others are displaced, forced into human-dominated areas where they are at greater risk of poaching and conflict.
• Forest loss drives ecological collapse: Without elephants maintaining seed dispersal, many commercially valuable trees may struggle to regenerate, ultimately degrading the timber industry’s long-term viability.

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Further Information

Beirne, C., Houslay, T. M., Morkel, P., Clark, C. J., Fay, M., Okouyi, J., White, L. J. T., & Poulsen, J. R. (2021). African forest elephant movements depend on time scale and individual behavior. Scientific Reports, 11, 12634. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91627-z

Gobush, K.S., Edwards, C.T.T, Maisels, F., Wittemyer, G., Balfour, D. & Taylor, R.D. 2021. Loxodonta cyclotis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T181007989A181019888. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T181007989A181019888.en. Downloaded on 08 June 2021.

Hedwig, D., & Kohlberg, A. (2024). Call combination in African forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299656

Scalbert, M., Vermeulen, C., Breuer, T., & Doucet, J. L. (2022). The challenging coexistence of forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis and timber concessions in central Africa. Mammal Review, 52(3), 501–518. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12305

African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

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Borneo Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis

Bornean Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis

Endangered

Population: fewer than 1,000

Locations: Sabah, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The endearing Borneo Pygmy Elephant is a diminutive subspecies of the Asian Elephant. They are distinguished by their unusually large ears, baby-like faces, and remarkably long tails that sometimes drag on the ground. These gentle, docile and compact elephants are able to sense through their feet and despite their size are able to walk through the jungle with barely a sound. They are endangered due mainly to #palmoil deforestation and human persecution, with fewer than 1,500 individual elephants left alive.

Borneo’s elephants are genetically distinct from any South and Southeast Asian population and may have been isolated for over 300,000 years. Destruction across their range for corporate greed is out of control. Help their survival every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

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Gentle #endangered giants, only <1,500 Bornean Pygmy #Elephants 🐘💔 still live in #Borneo. They’re surrounded by #palmoil #deforestation and #poaching. Fight for them when you shop 👏☮️ and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫#Boycott4Wildlife every day! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/19/bornean-pygmy-elephant-elephas-maximus-borneensis/

Laughing, crying, playing isn’t just done by #humans. #Bornean Pygmy #Elephants do the same! Fight for these intelligent, endearing beings 😻🐘🩶 who are #endangered by #palmoil #deforestation 👎🌴🚫 #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/19/bornean-pygmy-elephant-elephas-maximus-borneensis/

Appearances and behaviour

Borneo elephants are noticeably smaller than other Asian elephants, standing at 2-3 metres tall and weighing between 3-5 tonnes. They have a distinctly rotund appearance with their plump bellies, oversized ears, and long tails. Their trunks are equipped with a single finger-like muscle at the tip. This makes their trunks highly versatile and used for grasping objects, feeding, and drinking. Borneo Elephants are famous for their gentle and sensitive disposition, they are more docile compared to other elephants. They live in small herds, exhibiting strong social bonds and often seen playing and nurturing their young. These elephants communicate through low-frequency sounds and body language, displaying the full gamut of complex emotions from joy, mourning and grief, cheekiness and playfulness, anger and jealousy.

Fast facts

• Borneo elephants have a slower pulse rate of 27 beats per minute compared to other animals.
• They can ‘listen’ through their feet by detecting ground vibrations.
• Despite their size, Borneo elephants are capable of moving silently through dense forests.

Threats to their survival

• Palm oil deforestation: The expansion of palm oil plantations is one of the most significant threats to Borneo elephants. Vast areas of their natural habitat are being cleared to make way for these plantations, leading to habitat fragmentation and loss. This destruction not only reduces the space available for elephants to live and forage but also isolates populations, making it harder for them to find mates and sustain genetic diversity. The loss of habitat forces elephants into closer contact with humans, often leading to conflict situations.
• Habitat loss due to logging: Logging operations, both legal and illegal, are rampant in Borneo’s forests. The removal of large trees not only destroys the elephants’ habitat but also disrupts the forest structure, affecting the availability of food and water sources. The creation of logging roads further fragments the forest, creating barriers that elephants must navigate. This destruction of their environment can lead to malnutrition and increased mortality rates among the elephant population.
• Human encroachment and conflicts: As human populations grow and expand into previously wild areas, elephants find themselves increasingly squeezed into smaller habitats. Agricultural expansion, urban development, and infrastructure projects such as roads and dams encroach on their territory. This encroachment often results in human-elephant conflicts, where elephants raid crops and villages in search of food, leading to retaliation from local communities. Such conflicts can be fatal for both elephants and humans.
• Fragmentation of habitat: The fragmentation of forests into smaller, isolated patches significantly impacts Borneo elephants. Fragmented habitats can limit the elephants’ ability to migrate and access different parts of the forest for food and water. It also makes it harder for them to escape from poachers and other threats. Fragmentation often results in inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity, which can compromise the health and resilience of elephant populations.

Diet

Borneo elephants are herbivores, primarily feeding on a variety of plants, fruits, and tree bark. They require large amounts of water daily, which they often seek in rivers and other water bodies.

Mating and Reproduction

Borneo elephants have a gestation period of about 22 months, the longest of any mammal. Females usually give birth to a single calf, which is nurtured and protected by the entire herd. Calves are dependent on their mothers for milk for up to two years but start eating vegetation at around six months old.

Geographic Range

These elephants are confined to the northern and northeastern parts of Borneo, favouring lowland rainforests and river valleys. Their range is limited, and they often compete with humans for space and resources. Borneo’s nutrient-poor soils and the need for mineral sources also restrict their distribution.

Are Borneo Elephants Protected?

Several organisations are dedicated to the conservation of Borneo elephants, such as the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary and the Elephant Conservation Centre. These groups focus on habitat protection, research, and mitigating human-elephant conflicts.

Supreme Intelligence and Sensitivity

Borneo elephants are known for their gentle nature and remarkable intelligence. Their brains are the largest among all terrestrial mammals, 3-4 times bigger than human brains, although smaller in proportion to their body weight. Despite having poor vision, they possess a keen sense of smell and use their trunks to wave side to side or up in the air to better detect scents.

The elephant trunk is a multifunctional tool, used to explore the size, shape, and temperature of objects, lift food, and suck up water to drink. Borneo elephants can display a wide range of emotions, including laughing and crying. They have highly developed memories and can remember individuals and places for many years. These sensitive animals can feel grief and compassion, showing self-awareness, altruism, and playful behaviour. For instance, when a calf complains, the entire family gathers to show concern and caress the baby.

Elephants can ‘listen’ through their feet, detecting sub-sonic rumblings that cause ground vibrations, which they perceive by positioning their feet and trunks on the ground. Their ears consist of a complex system of blood vessels that help control their body temperature, allowing them to cool off by circulating blood through their ears

Bornean Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis

Further Information

Wikipedia contributors. (2024). Borneo elephant. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Williams, C., Tiwari, S.K., Goswami, V.R., de Silva, S., Kumar, A., Baskaran, N., Yoganand, K. & Menon, V. 2020. Elephas maximus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T7140A45818198. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T7140A45818198.en. Accessed on 26 July 2024.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

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