1. Elephant calves: When an elephant calf is born, it has almost no strength in its trunk. Therefore, it sucks with its mouth. It takes several months before it gains full control of its trunk
2. Biggest elephant: The largest elephant ever recorded weighed 10,866 kg and measured 3.96 meters in height
3. Sunburn: Since elephants can get sunburn, they protect themselves from the sun’s rays by covering themselves with mud and sand
4. Weight: A blue whale’s tongue can weigh as much as an elephant
5. Pregnancy: Elephants are pregnant for 2 years at a time and typically have around 4 babies in their lifetime
6. Species: There are 3 species of elephant: the Asian and two African. The African can be distinguished from the Asian in several ways; the African is larger, has larger ears, more wrinkled skin and the trunk ends in 2 “fingers”, whereas the Asian has only one
7. Electric shock: In 1903, Thomas Edison (inventor of the incandescent light bulb) electrocuted Topsy the circus elephant to prove that Nikola Tesla’s alternating current was dangerous
8. The elephant whisperer: When elephant whisperer Lawrence Anthony died, a herd of elephants arrived at his house to mourn him
9. Beer: Elephants are afraid of bees. They also avoid small creatures such as ants, as they can crawl up their trunk where there are many sensitive nerves
10. Largest land animal: Elephants are today the largest land animals in the world

Fact: The Rock Badger (Procavia capensis) is the closest living genetic relative of elephants

 

Elephant behavior

• Homosexuality: Homosexuality is common (and well-documented) among elephants
• Herd animals: Female elephants live in herds of around 10 individuals, led by the most experienced matriarch. Male elephants, on the other hand, are typically more solitary and move from herd to herd
• Death rituals: Besides humans, elephants are one of the few creatures on Earth that have death rituals. For example, some elephants stay with their recently deceased herd members to mourn, and other herds typically pass by the elephant corpse. Other animals that have been observed to have death rituals include dolphins and chimpanzees
• The pussy: Elephants can hear the trumpeting of other elephants up to 8 kilometers away

At birth, a baby elephant can weigh 50-150 kg. The weight depends on the breed and the size of the parents, among other things. The average weight is approximately 105 kg

 

More facts about elephants

• Age: Most elephants live to be 50-80 years old
• Threats: The two main threats to the existence of elephants are habitat reduction and poachers. The latter hunt elephants for their tusks because ivory is a valuable commodity on the black market
• Diet: Grasses, leaves, roots, bark and bamboo are the primary food of elephants. Elephants also eat crops such as bananas, sugar cane, etc. that are grown by farmers. Adult elephants consume 130-180 kg of food per day
• Number: At the end of the 20th century, there were a few million African elephants and around 100,000 Asian elephants left in the world. Today, it is estimated that there are approximately 450,000 – 700,000 African elephants and 35,000 – 40,000 Asian elephants