Photo by jasperdoest | The baby forest elephant trots between its parents in Lopé National Park, Gabon, along one of many paths that generations of the animals have cut through the rainforest. Elephants pass on the knowledge of what to forage, where to find the food, and, in the case of fruit, when it’s likely to be ripe. Elephants are picky eaters and they are particularly fond of saplings, young trees, and plants that first grow in newly opened gaps in the forest. They feed by breaking stems and branches, pulling down lianas, uprooting whole plants, and stripping leaves off twigs. This “elephant disturbance”—all that messy eating—is important as it results in forests having fewer, larger trees, which allows these woodlands to store more carbon, making the elephants true ecosystem engineers. Read more about Gabon's elephants at the link in bio. #ElephantAppreciationDay