elefacts
elefacts
- Elephants are the largest land mammals
- Wild elephants live in families called herds – herds are made up of female elephants.
- The only males in these herds are the young calves
- The leader of the herd is usually the oldest female – she is called the Matriarch
- In the wild, a mother elephant has help with the babies from other elephants – who are known as Aunties. A new mother will choose her aunties and together they will raise the baby.
- A young male elephant stays with the herd until he is about 15 years old. He then leaves and lives alone like most bull elephants
- Elephants only eat plants, grass and fruit – they don’t eat meat.
- Elephants love bananas
- Elephants are so clever they can peel their own bananas, corn and lots of other food.
- Elephants lovewater
- They love to swim, bathe and play in rivers
- A healthy adult elephant can drink up to 60 gallons of water each day – which is the same as about 275 big bottles of coke
- To drink, they suck the water up into their trunk and spraying it into their mouths
- They love squirting themselves and people with water using their trunk like a shower
- The elephant’s trunk is one of nature most amazing creations
- An elephant can pick up a coin with his trunk – he can also pick up a tree trunk.
- The Asian elephant has one finger on the end of the trunk the African has two
- The trunk is very sensitive and elephants are very careful and protective of them
- The trunk is used to drink, smell, pick up food, touch and communicate.
- It is used to tenderly touch a loved one or in self-defence as a weapon.
- An elephant lives on average to the age of 70 – the same as humans
- Elephants are very emotional – they cry when they are upset and squeak and trumpet when they are happy
- Elephants are the only animals other than humans to grieve for the dead.
- Elephants have very good memories
- Elephants are scared of dogs
- Elephants are so clever they even play jokes on humans
- Domesticated elephants form a lifelong bond with their mahout