<
https://observer.co.uk/news/international/article/world-remains-divided-as-plastics-push-elephants-closer-to-extinction>
"The elephant calf tried to wake its mother when she collapsed, near a rubbish
dump in Coimbatore in southern India. Vets tried to help, first winching her
back to her feet, then taking her to a hydrotherapy pool to recover, but she
died a few days later.
An autopsy revealed her intestines were full of plastic bags and packets, eaten
while she was grazing for food.
“Elephants are often attracted to garbage dumps that are at the edge of forests
to access easy food,” said Aritra Kshettry, who leads wildlife charity WWF
India’s elephant conservation programme. “Plastics in elephant dung has been
reported from all the four elephant populations in India and seems to be a
widespread issue.”
Macaques, porcupines and sambar deer have also been found with plastic in their
guts.
Plastic was conceived as a way of saving elephants from extinction. Ivory was
in such demand in the 1860s that a billiard ball-maker offered a reward for an
alternative. The challenge was met by John Wesley Hyatt, who created celluloid.
The array of plastic invented since, from cling film to Lycra to Lego, now
presents a threat to elephants, not to mention the rest of the planet. A 2022
study found plastic or other human products in a third of all elephant dung,
Kshettry said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
