Animals Elephants and co. under pressure due to salt shortage
Elephants, giraffes and rhinos are dependent on salt-rich habitats. However, according to a new study, many protected areas are located in low-salt areas. This could have serious consequences for the animals.
09.12.2025, 12:06
SDA
In order for their metabolism to function, animals are dependent on sodium, a nutrient found in salt. The study, published on Tuesday in the journal "Nature Ecology & Evolution", now shows that the world's large herbivores - elephants, giraffes and rhinos - have limited access to sodium in many places.
For the study, which also involved a researcher from the University of Zurich (UZH), the researchers examined over 4,000 plant samples from various regions of Africa and mapped sodium availability on a continental scale. The result: sodium levels vary regionally by a factor of more than a thousand.
"Conflict with humans"
Particularly low-salt areas can be found where many protected areas are located - for example in parts of West and Central Africa. "However, since many protected areas are located in low-sodium landscapes, animals that travel long distances in search of salt could increasingly come into conflict with humans in the future," said Marcus Clauss, Clinical Director at the University of Zurich's Veterinary Hospital and co-author of the study, in a press release issued by the University of Zurich.
Analysis of feces confirmed deficiency
The researchers combined this data with results from fecal analyses of the animals. As a sodium deficiency in the diet can be detected directly in the feces, they were able to draw conclusions about the actual supply situation of the species. These results showed that the largest species in particular are barely able to cover their sodium requirements in many regions.
This also explains certain animal behaviors, as the UZH explained in its press release. For example, elephants in Kenya enter salty caves in order to reach salt-rich rock faces, while elephants in the Congo dig for salt in riverbeds.
