World Elephant Appreciation Day

World Elephant Day is celebrated in many countries on September 22 This is an environmental holiday that appeared thanks to caring people and organizations involved in environmental protection Huge animals with thick skin actually need protection The trouble is that the jungle is constantly being destroyed, so the elephants have to leave their usual habitats Often all this leads to their death from thirst and hunger Many individuals in the zoo are not much better off, because not all owners treat them well Another reason that leads to a reduction in numbers is human hunting in order to obtain valuable ivory and meat And all this despite the fact that in 1989 the UN introduced a ban on the trade in ivory, jewelry and crafts made from it They are also exterminated due to damage to crops and crops Initially, the elephant was not considered a domestic animal, however, given the invaluable help of these giants in construction and household work, they were often tamed In ancient times, giants took part in wars, by the way, not only in their habitat For example, many of Macedonian’s military operations could not be done without “assistants” weighing several tons Today there is no such need In nature, you can find only two types of elephants: There are about half a million individuals in Africa, about 30 thousand in Asia, but these numbers are rapidly creeping down The economies of many countries that depend on tourism owe a lot to elephants They are the “bait” In a Thai nature reserve you can take an elephant ride In Thailand, the elephant is a sacred animal and there is a day dedicated to it During the ceremony, Buddhist monks organize feasts for them, serving sugar cane and delicious fruits In the vicinity of Bangkok, you can visit a parade where sacred animals are dressed in festive outfits, hats, and entertainment shows with their participation are organized Not a single folk festival or carnival in India is complete without the participation of elephants Guests of the festival will be treated to a magnificent spectacle - racing on huge animals Well, the elephant polo game attracts an incredible number of spectators Although these animals are quite clumsy and have a huge body mass, they float perfectly on the water, swim, play basketball, walk on a tightrope and dance Elephants are very intelligent and highly trainable, especially the African variety In all Buddhist countries, elephants are symbols of prudence, longevity, thoughtfulness and caution Their images in manuscripts symbolize reason, stability, and spiritual knowledge In China, Africa, and India, the giant is associated with dignity, loyalty and wisdom, peacefulness and patience The purpose of Elephant Protection Day is to preserve the population, introduce measures aimed at increasing the number of individuals, disseminate information about the urgent need for their protection, draw attention to the problem of poaching, illegal capture and extermination, keeping in captivity and in conditions unsuitable for life An adult eats up to 250 kg of food per day, so feeding them is very difficult They also drink a lot of water, about 200 liters per day Elephant hunting was banned several decades ago; the creation of national parks makes it possible to control their numbers to some extent