Poaching (偷猎) and habitat loss have threatened Africa’s two species of elephants, taking them closer toward the edge of extinction, according to a new report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Before this update, Africa’s elephants were grouped together and were evaluated as vulnerable (脆弱的) by the IUCN. This is the first time the two species have been classified separately. In the past, elephants were mostly considered as either Asian elephants or African elephants. Forest and savanna elephants were typically classified as subspecies of African elephants.

The African forest elephant is now listed as critically endangered and the African savanna elephant as endangered. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a 31-year assessment period. The population of African savanna elephants dropped by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the IUCN, which tracks the assessment risk of the world’s animals. Africa currently has an estimated 415,000 elephants, counting the two species together.

Both elephant species experienced significant population decreases because of poaching. Although it peaked in 2011, illegal hunting still happens and continues to threaten elephant populations. African elephants also face continued habitat loss as their land is converted for agriculture or other uses.

There is some good conservation news, the IUCN points out. Anti-poaching measures, combined with better land use planning to support better human-wildlife relationships, have helped conservation efforts. Some forest elephant population figures have stabilized in well-managed area as in Gabon and the Republic of Congo and savanna population figures have remained stable or have been growing, particularly in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in southern Africa.

But with persistent demand for ivory and increasing human pressures on Africa’s wild lands, concern for Africa’s elephants is high, and the need to creatively conserve and wisely manage these animals and their habitats is severer than ever.

ANIMAL BODY LANGUAGE

Human beings are not only ones who communicate. 【小题1】 Here is a quick look at how some of our animal friends send messages to us and to each other.

【小题2】 When a dog is happy, its ears will stand up and its eyes will be wide open. The dog will start barking. moving its tail, and running around in circles or jumping up and down to show you that it wants to play. A dog that is afraid will lay on its back and close its eyes. The dog may show its teeth and lower its body so that it is close to the ground. The dog may also shake, and it will put its tail between its legs. When a dog is angry, its main body language is showing its teeth and growling (低声叫). The dog will try making itself look as big as possible. The tail will stand straight out from the body.

Elephants also use noises and body language to express themselves. An elephant’s sense of smell is highly developed. An elephant can smell how another elephant is feeling and even tell if it is sick. The elephant’s nose, or trunk, is also used to make noises and to welcome other elephants. Different noises have a variety of meanings they can mean “I am hungry”, “I am angry”, or “Good to see you!” 【小题3】 If an elephant spreads its ears, it means “Watch out! “To show friendship, elephants will touch each other with their trunks and stand close to each other, putting their heads together.

Dolphins are social animals. 【小题4】 An angry dolphin will sometimes hit its tail on the surface of the water. The movement and noise let other dolphins know that something is wrong. If a dolphin wants to send a message over a long distance, or if it wants to show how strong it is, it will jump high out of the water and land on its side, making a loud noise. A dolphin’s favorite activity is leaping into the air while playing with its friends. When dolphins are tired and need to rest, they will swim in small groups close to the surface. 【小题5】

Brownie and Spotty were neighbor dogs who met every day to play together. Like pairs of dogs you can find in most any neighborhood, these two loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their respective houses.

One evening, Brownie's family noticed that Brownie hadn't returned home. They went looking for him with no success. Brownie didn't show up the next day, and despite their efforts to find him, by the next week he was still missing. Curiously, Spotty showed up at Brownie's house alone. Barking, whining and generally pestering Brownie's human family. Busy with their own lives, they just ignored the nervous neighbor dog.

Finally, one morning Spotty refused to take "no" for an answer. Ted, Brownie's owner, was steadily harassed by the furious, adamant little dog. Spotty followed Ted about; barking insistently, then darting toward nearby empty lot and back, as if to say, "Follow me! It's urgent!"

Finally, Ted followed the frantic Spotty across the empty lot as Spotty paused to race back and bark encouragingly. The little dog led the man under a tree, past clumps of trees, to a desolate spot a half mile from the house. There Ted found his beloved Brownie alive, one of his hind legs crushed in a steel leg hold trap. Horrified, Ted now wished he'd taken Spotty's earlier appeals seriously. Then Ted noticed something quite remarkable.

Spotty had done more than simply led Brownie's human owner to his trapped friend. In a circle around the injured dog, Ted found an array of dog food and table scraps which were later identified as the remains of every meal Spotty had been fed that week!

Spotty had been visiting Brownie regularly, in a single minded quest to keep his friend alive by sacrificing his own comfort. Spotty had evidently stayed with Brownie to protect him from predators, snuggling with him at night to keep him warm and nuzzling him to keep his spirits up.

Browni’s leg was treated by a veterinarian and he recovered. For many years thereafter, the two families watched the faithful friends playing and chasing each other down that well-worn path between their houses.