Elephant E-Cards
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In Africa, the most severe drought in 26 years has threatened survival for the remaining 350-400 elephants of the Gourma district of Mali. These elephants, already trekking 435 miles (700 kilometers) on the edge of the Sahara, must travel further than ever to find water. During the dry season, the elephants depend on water from a handful of lakes to sustain them until the rain arrives. This year, due to insufficient rainfall in 2008, many of the water sources they depend on are either extremely shallow and muddied or dried up entirely.
Juvenile elephants of this region are in the most peril, because unlike older elephants, their trunks are not long enough to reach deep into the wells. Several young elephants have collapsed in their struggle to get to water in muddy lakebeds. Save the Elephants, a worldwide conservation organization, has partnered with the WILD foundation and the Mali government to raise funds for the cause.
Sources:
Save the Elephants
CNN
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