The African elephant’s story

It’s our planet too, stomping through forests is what we do…

We’re the largest beast to roam the earth, but it’s not just size that gives us our worth;
At eleven feet tall and six tons in size, we’re a symbol of strength, and notoriously wise.

 We’re funny to look at with our very long nose, our clever trunk stretches down to our toes;
We use it to smell, eat, scratch and greet friends, a shower, a snorkel, the fun never ends!

 Our huge ears are like fans that help keep us cool, they’re really quite good, when there isn’t a pool.
We protect our skin with a spray of dust, in the blazing sun this is really a must.

 We live in a family group called a herd, our leader, the matriarch has the last word.
We are sensitive souls and we never forget, we care for our kin and get very upset.

 The trees in the forests that we call home, rely on us spreading their seeds to be sown;
The further we roam, the more good that we do, shaping the land, to create something new.

 We eat grasses, bark, roots and fruit, munching all day must deserve a salute!
We wander for miles searching for food, it leaves little time for a rest or a snooze.

 We lay our huge bodies down for a sleep, or we’ll grab forty winks, whilst stood on our feet.
Our tusks are another elephant trait, long and curved, they make us look great.

 Our ivory tusks are actually long teeth, they grow all our lives and never cease;
Sometimes a blessing but often a curse, our ivory threatens our time on this earth.

 As the wildlife trade again starts to surge, more and more poachers start to emerge;
Our beautiful tusks make us a target for hunters, we are tracked and maimed and sold to the smugglers.

 We’ve been roaming this earth for thousands of years, yet our numbers have shrunk, and that’s a big fear
We’re a popular sight and a so-called ‘Big-5’, so please do what you can to keep us alive. 

There’s only a few of us left on the planet, help save our home so we don’t have to panic.
We deserve a home outside of the zoo, after all it’s our planet too!