Researchers make promising discovery while studying elephant DNA: 'We are pleasantly surprised'
A study of elephants in Cambodia had a surprising but welcome outcome: a larger and more robust population than anticipated.
A multinational team analysed DNA from dung samples collected by researchers in northern Cambodia, providing a promising glimpse into the health and size of the herds roaming through the wildlife sanctuaries of Prey Lang, Preah Roka, and Chhaeb.
According to the Associated Press, the report found evidence of an estimated 51 elephants with enough genetic diversity to sustain future growth. The report concluded: "With sufficient suitable habitat remaining in the region, the population has the potential to grow if properly protected."
Like their African cousins, Asian elephants face serious challenges to their long-term survival as a species, but they are in much worse shape overall. Due to habitat destruction, human encroachment, and illegal poaching, only around 50,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild. As the World Wildlife Fund reports, only about 15% of the elephant's natural range remains.
Restoring the depleted population is even more difficult due to the elephant's exceptionally lengthy gestation period of 18 to 22 months, which is the longest of any animal.
Elephants play an important role in the ecosystem. Because of their immense size, they spend around 80% of their day eating. With all that gorging comes a hefty amount of dung: 220 pounds every day.
Elephant dung is rich in nutrients and fiber, which sustains other species and helps spread seeds from their long journeys in search of more food. Their dietary habits also help clear dense vegetation for more sunlight, and digging creates water holes that other creatures need to survive. In short, an elephant herd is a veritable army of eco engineers on the move.
Protecting endangered species is a crucial challenge for conservation efforts worldwide, and it can be successfully addressed through education and international cooperation.
With the right management, researchers are hopeful the herd could provide the foundation for a sustainable elephant population for generations to come.
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Alex Ball, conservation manager for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and one of the partners in the research, said: "We are pleasantly surprised by the results of the project.
"We now hope to expand this methodology … which will inform how best we can work to help reverse the decline of these spectacular animals."
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