After the video was shared on its Facebook page, it went on to reach more than 130,000 views.
When watching the video, many social media users wondered why elephants knocked down trees. According to the blog, 4elephants, these giant animals tend to knock down trees to feed on leaves and bark. Because they are so large, they can step on the smallest trees or use their trunks to knock down trees.
“Elephants change their eating habits during different seasons and drier times will frequently push through large trees to access nutrient leaves and will consume roots,” Latest Sightings explains. “Falling trees not only provide food for others, but they also create seedbeds for grasses.”
By doing this, the researchers found that elephants are helping to develop biodiversity.
Elephants don’t just knock down the first tree they see. Researchers have found that elephants tend to knock down trees where the soil is fertile, and water is readily available. In this way, they will help the seeds to disperse and new plants to grow. They choose fertile areas where new plants can flourish.
These creatures always roam the forests and savannas in search of their next meal or water. With all that moving, they are spreading seeds through their dung along the way.
All the plant seeds they consume in one location are transported to another where they can grow. Elephant ecosystems are helping to maintain biodiversity throughout their habitats.