$~~~~$When you enjoy your morning cup of tea, you are probably not aware that those tea leaves can mean injury, or even death, for Asian elephants roaming Indian tea gardens.
$~~~~$In the Indian state of Assam, growing numbers of tea farms are destroying the Asian elephant’s habitats and endangering their population. Much of the forest land where tea is grown in Assam is flat and thus farmers must dig drainage trenches to prevent water from accumulating and hurting the shrubs. The trenches, however, can be death traps for the elephants. Since the elephants need to use tea plantations as landmarks when navigating forests, they almost inevitably have to move through the farms. Moreover, because there are fewer humans around, pregnant females often use tea-growing areas as safe shelters to give birth. But baby elephants, not used to negotiating rough ground, may easily fall into the trenches and get hurt; and once injured, they might not be able to climb out. When mothers try to dig their babies out, both may be trapped and smothered by thick mud. Furthermore, elephants are known to resist leaving their sick or dying behind, and a herd may linger at a trench with a trapped baby for hours, reluctant to move on until all hope is lost.
$~~~~$Is it possible for elephants to coexist with the prosperous tea business? Elephant Friendly Tea is an organization that takes the initiative to make it possible. The organization encourages consumers to choose brands that take precautions to protect elephants and has set up a certification program to reward tea growers who are doing it right. Until now, only smaller tea brands have been certified, but awareness is growing. The organization believes that people may be motivated to buy elephant-friendly brands when they know more about the risk tea can pose to these endangered animals.