Senegal: A camera trap has recorded footage of an elephant in Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park for the first time in six years, rekindling hopes for the survival of the species in the park after they nearly vanished due to poaching and habitat loss. The decline of elephants in the region and across the continent began during the colonial period, with severe poaching for ivory and habitat destruction leading to the near extinction of West African herds.
In Niokolo-Koba, the elephant population plummeted from several hundred in the 1960s to fewer than 10. However, since 2011, conservation and monitoring initiatives by Senegal’s National Parks Directorate and Panthera have turned the park’s 9,000-square-kilometer (3,500-square-mile) area into a refuge for various species.
- Lord, we pray with gratitude for the sighting of the elephant in Niokolo-Koba National Park after so many years. We thank you for the dedicated efforts of those working to protect and restore the wildlife in this precious area. Lord, we ask for Your continued guidance and strength for the conservationists who tirelessly work to ensure a safe haven for these majestic creatures and all species that share their habitat (The Holy Bible, Genesis 1:28).
- Lord, we pray for the restoration of the elephant population and for Your protection over them as they thrive once again in their home. May the dedication to preserving Your creation inspire others to take action in protecting the earth and its inhabitants (The Holy Bible, Psalm 104:25-26).
News Source: Mongabay
Image Source: Canva
