The Reason Why the Raindrop is so Important in Elephant Management
When a game reserve is carrying too many elephants, however, the elephants smash the trees to the ground; they rip up the roots; and they eat every palatable source of food that they can find during the hot dry season – and the ground is left bare and unprotected from the ravishes of the trillions of raindrops that fall during every tropical rainstorm. And when each raindrops hit the bare ground it explodes outwards and upwards – its kinetic energy loosening all the surface soil particles and washing them away into the nearest river.
And when the soil has thus been all washed away, there will be no substrate left in which any kind of plant can grow; and without plants there will be nothing for the animals to eat – so they will starve to death. And, ultimately even the elephants will die.
So this is the reason why the raindrop is so important in elephant management. It can bring much needed water to the plants that are growing in the ground – without which the plants will not survive; or – when all the plants have been killed off by too many elephants, rain will loosen and wash away all the topsoil and that in turn, will destroy all animal life in the game reserve.
Without soil, no plants will grow; and without plants there will be no animals.
So the lowly raindrop is of immense importance to our elephants and to the health, vigor and stability of our game reserves, because it brings both life and/or death to both plants and animals. This little story explains in easy to understand terms, just why it is important for man to manage our elephant populations wisely and sustainably.
