Interesting facts about elephants
ELEPHANTS are fascinating creatures. Being the largest of all land mammals on earth, many aspects of their huge anatomy are a source of amazement themselves, whilst their high level of social development makes them an intriguing subject for observation. Furthermore, we are increasingly learning that they play a vital role in the natural environment and in maintaining the balance of fragile ecosystems. Unfortunately however, decades of negative interactions with humans have reduced the numbers of these gentle giants significantly.
▪ The word “elephant” comes from the Greek word “elephas” which means “ivory”.
▪ The gestation period of elephants is 22 months. Baby elephants weigh around 100kg on average. The babies can stand up shortly after being born.
▪ The average lifespan of an elephant is from 50 to 70 years. Male African elephants can reach three metres tall and weigh between 4 000-7 500kg. Asian elephants are slightly smaller, reaching 2,7m tall and weighing 3 000–6 000kg.
▪ Elephants spend between 12 to 15 hours eating grass, plants and fruit every single day. They use their long trunks to smell their food and lift it up into their mouth. An adult needs to eat up to 150kg of food a day — that’s 50 tonnes a year.
▪ Elephants are highly social animals with incredible memories. It’s really true that elephants never forget. Elephants are known to display complex behaviour indicating that they feel empathy for others, and are capable of demonstrating other emotions including grief.
▪ Elephants can get sunburned! These giants bathe in mud to help protect their skin from the sun. They also do that to keep bugs off.
Elephant tusks have a variety of uses: as a tool to dig for food or water and to strip bark from trees; as a weapon in battles with rivals and as a courtship aid — the larger his tusks, the more attractive a male elephant may appear to a female.
Female elephants live in groups, all related and led by a matriarch, usually the oldest in the group. She’ll decide where and when they move and rest, day-today and season-to-season. Males leave the family unit between the ages of 12-15 and may lead solitary lives or live temporarily with other males.
The trunk of an elephant is flexible extension of his upper lip and nose. The trunk is an elephant’s most versatile tool, used for breathing, smelling, touching, grasping and producing sound. It’s probably the most amazing body part in the animal kingdom.
Sadly, elephants are in trouble. Many are killed by humans for their ivory tusks because they have come into conflict with communities or simply for sport. Asian elephants also face threats from tourist attractions where people pay to ride on their backs or paint pictures on them.