African elephant

The African elephant is the largest animal walking the Earth. Their herds wander
through 37 countries in Africa. They are easily recognized by their trunk that is used for
communication and handling objects. And their large ears allow them to radiate excess
heat. Upper incisor teeth develop into tusks in African elephants and grow throughout
their lifetime. There are two subspecies of African elephants—the Savanna (or bush)
elephant and the Forest elephant. Savanna elephants are larger than forest elephants,
and their tusks curve outwards. In addition to being smaller, forest elephants are
darker and their tusks are straighter and point downward. There are also differences in
the size and shape of the skull and skeleton between the two subspecies.

Forest elephants, a distinct subspecies of African elephants, are uniquely adapted to

the forest habitat of the Congo Basin, but are in sharp decline due to poaching for the
international ivory trade. It is estimated that probably one quarter to one third of the
total African elephant population is made up of forest elephants.FACTS

 STATUS
Vulnerable

 a POPULATION
Approximately 415,000 in the wild

 b SCIENTIFIC NAME
Loxodonta africana

 c HEIGHT
Shoulder height is 11 feet

 d WEIGHT
6 tons

 C LENGTH
19-24 feet

 e HABITATS
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests, Flooded Grasslands and Savannahs, Miombo woodlands, Acacia
savannahs
 Giant panda

This peaceful creature with a distinctive black and white coat is adored by the world
and considered a national treasure in China. The panda also has a special significance
for WWF because it has been WWF's logo since our founding in 1961.

Pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China, where
they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat from 26 to 84 pounds of it
every day, a formidable task for which they use their enlarged wrist bones that function
as opposable thumbs.

A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter—about 1/900th the size of its
mother—but can grow to up to 330 pounds as an adult. These bears are excellent tree
climbers despite their bulk

 STATUS
Vulnerable

 a POPULATION
1,864 in the wild

 b SCIENTIFIC NAME
Ailuropoda melanoleuca

 c HEIGHT
Adults can grow to more than four feet.

 d WEIGHT
220–330 pounds

 e HABITATS
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of southwest China