We love elephants! Sadly the forest elephant population has declined by 62%. Help fund research to unlock answers about elephant life cycles so we can save these wonderful creatures & learn something about ourselves too.
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Forest elephants live in the forests of central and western Africa. They are highly understudied, unique creatures. Although smaller and less gregarious than the savanna elephants found in eastern and southern Africa, they have huge effects on their habitat. Little is known about their basic biology or ecology. This research project will study the length of the forest elephant’s estrous cycle and how their health relates to their reproduction.
Elephants share many behavioral characteristics with humans. The info and knowledge gained through research led by Dr. Daniella Chusyd, an elephant researcher at the IU School of Public Health at IU Bloomington, will not only help to conserve elephants but also offer translational opportunities to better understand ourselves.
Two important priorities set at the School of Public Health are understanding human reproductive health and aging. As a Morris Animal Foundation postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Chusyd is dedicated to understanding elephant reproduction and health, which closely coincides with our own health and aging cycles. Your generous gift will fund elephant research and expand the research portfolio of the IU School of Public Health.
All animals instinctively want to pass on their genes, so why do forest elephants wait so long to reproduce? Through her research, Dr. Chusyd is trying to understand why African forest elephants have their first baby more than a decade later in life than African savanna elephants. Answers to these questions may unlock answers to our own human reproduction and aging processes.
Your support for this research is greatly appreciated. At the following giving levels, you can enjoy some unique opportunities:
Please consider a gift today!
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