Learn About Elephants
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© Richard G. Ruggiero
Elephants are not simply iconic animals. They shape ecosystems, influence water and vegetation patterns, and are part of the living fabric of the landscapes they inhabit. Their conservation is inseparable from broader questions of habitat, human livelihoods, governance, and long-term stewardship.
In addition, and as Richard often pointed out, they have a consciousness as we do – they know what is happening to them in their landscapes.
Many people may not be aware that Africa has two species of elephants – the endangered Savanna (Loxodonta africana) and critically endangered Forest (Loxodonta cyclotis) elephant. Richard had the great fortune of working extensively in both ecosystems and was even part of the conversations as the efforts advanced that ultimately led to the naming of forest elephants as a separate species (originally described in 1900 but DNA evidence provided the conclusive information in the early 2000’s).
Supporting elephants means supporting coexistence, practical problem-solving, and the people and communities who are willing to stay with the work despite the hardships - a hallmark of Richard’s more than 40 years in the field of conservation.
Richard’s Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications on Elephants:
Ruggiero, R. (1984). Central African Republic hit by poachers. Pachyderm, 4, 12-13. https://pachydermjournal.org/index.php/pachyderm/article/view/597
Ruggiero, R. G. (1989). The ecology and conservation of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana oxyotis Matschie, 1900) in Gounda-St. Floris NP, Central African Republic. Ph.D. Dissertation. Rutgers State University.
Ruggiero, R. (1990). The effects of poaching disturbance on elephant behaviour. Pachyderm, 13, 42-44. https://pachydermjournal.org/index.php/pachyderm/article/view/706
Ruggiero, R. G. (1991). Opportunistic predation on elephant calves. African Journal of Ecology, 29(1), 86-89. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2028.1991.tb00823.x
Ruggiero, R. G. (1992). Seasonal forage utilization by elephants in central Africa. African Journal of Ecology, 30(2), 137-148. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2028.1992.tb00487.x
Ruggiero, R. G., & Fay, J. M. (1994). Utilization of termitarium soils by elephants and its ecological implications. African Journal of Ecology, 32(3), 222-232. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2028.1994.tb00573.x
Ruggiero, R. G. (1998). The Nouabale-Ndoki Project: development of a practical conservation model in Central Africa. Resource use in the trinational Sangha river region of equatorial Africa: Histories, knowledge forms, and institutions, 176-188. https://websites.umich.edu/~infosrn/PDF_FILES/ENGLISH_.PDF/SEC._3/RUGGIERO.PDF
Selected Published Research on Elephants Acknowledging Richard:
FORTHCOMING
Links About African Elephants:
Key African Elephant Conservation Organizations:
International Elephant Foundation