meh.

Evolution in action

The poaching of elephants for ivory is simply deplorable. Even since the banning on the trade of ivory in 1989, we’re still losing around 8% of elephants to illegal poaching- nothing we have implemented has stopped this cruelty. So, elephants have taken the matter into their own hands.

Elephants all over the world have begun selecting against having tusks. Previously, Asian male elephants were born without tusks in only around 2% of cases. By 2005, this figure had grown to between 5 and 10%. In Africa, one national park estimated the number of their elephants born without tusks was as high as 38%. What we are seeing here is natural selection in action. It is uncertain whether female elephants are choosing to breed with non-tusk bearing elephants more frequently or simply that elephants without tusks have a greater chance of reaching the age of breeding- probably a combination of both.