Summary of "Requiem for a Heavyweight" by Jim Merritt
             Jim Merritt's essay "Requiem for a Heavyweight" explains how scientists have been learning about the life of the African elephant; just as this animal is becoming threatened by extinction. The bonds formed within an elephant family can last a lifetime that may span 60 or more years. Just in the last 20 years humans are beginning to understand how complex the elephant societies actually are. At this same time we humans have been killing them from 1.5 million to less than 600,000. The decline is mainly due to the illegal shooting of the African elephants for their tusks. At this rate these animals will be extinct by the end of this century. Cynthia Moss has become an expert of these animals. She's written a book "Elephant Memories". A typical family of elephants consists of 10 or so individuals. They are mostly all females with some immature males. An elephant's trunk is an important appendage but most don't realize that a calf has to learn how to maneuver it. These animals experience many emotions like humans. The mating ritual is very interesting. When mating the elephants rely on a vocal communication system. The male elephants play a key role in Africa's ecology by consuming about 300 pounds of vegetation per day. The price of their ivory tusks climbed to about $100 a pound from 1960 to 1980. Poachers have diminished the African elephant's population to a critical state. There are plans in progress in trying to end this tragedy but this will take some time.
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