tREE PROTECTION Problem: Elephants damaging trees Elephants need to forage on trees and leaves for nutrition, but they can also permanently damage important large trees they strip the bark, break branches and uproot the trees.
Large and iconic trees are important for economic, cultural and sometimes even for medicinal purposes.
They support a variety of wildlife, animals and plant life.
For example, in Southern Africa, studies have shown that elephants like to use trees such as the Marula, Knobthorn and Red bushwillow for nutrition.
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For example, Marula trees in South Africa are important fruit bearing trees and have a high economic value. The destruction of these trees is a source of human-elephant conflict. Elephants may strip bark, break branches or push trees over as they forage – and large bulls may push over more trees than cows do.
Trees that are trimmed down or broken can become vulnerable to insects and fire.
Protecting trees from elephant damage is important for the whole ecosystem. Destroying big trees results in a reduced diversity of birds, bats and small mammals.