12 Incredible Facts About Elephants

Elephants play a vital role in their ecosystems and contribute to tourism and community incomes in many areas. Unfortunately, with only 40,000-50,000 left in the wild, this species is classified as endangered. To celebrate World Elephant Day 2024, an international day dedicated to the preservation and protection of this wonderful animal, here are 12 facts about elephants you might not know about. 

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12 Facts About Elephants You Might Not Know About

1. Elephants are the world’s largest land animal

As the largest land mammal on the planet, an average male elephant can measure up to three meters (13 feet) in height and weigh up to six tonnes. Elephants also have large brains – they weigh about 4-6kg, the largest for terrestrial mammals. Those that live in the wild can grow to be 60-70 years old. 

2. African Elephants and Asian Elephants are the two main species

Aside from their geographical locations, African Elephants are distinctly larger in size with bigger ears shaped like the African continent. Asian elephants, on the other hand, are smaller sized with more rounded ears. The two species also have different trunks: while African elephants have two identifiable spikes at the tip of their trunks, Asian elephants have just one.

Recent estimates suggest there are approximately 415,428 African elephants left in the wild, half of which are located in southern Africa’s Botswana and Namibia, whilst the Asian variety has fallen to below 30,000 individuals. 

3. Asian Elephants are endangered

The Asian elephant is currently listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and its population continues to drop with every day. Some estimates have put the 50% population loss within the last 75 years and possibly as low as 20,000 Asian elephants are left in the wild.

They can be found in forested regions of India and throughout Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, with about a third of Asian elephants currently living in captivity, many of which are forced into wildlife tourism. 

4. Elephants communicate with vibrations through their feet

Here’s one of the most interesting facts about elephants: they can communicate with their feet. There are many ways in which elephants can communicate. They can trumpet call each other –  usually when greeting family members – use body language, and typical senses such as touching and scenting. However, one of the most unique communication methods elephants use is through seismic signals, where they create vibrations in the ground, allowing other elephants to detect and absorb them through their feet and bones. The communication channel can work at incredibly vast distances and speed.

5. Elephant family units are matriarchal 

The matriarch of an elephant unit is typically the oldest and largest adult female member of the family, and they are the ones leading the herd when travelling long distances for food and water. The matriarch is also responsible for providing stability and conflict resolutions. However, members of a family unit have also often displayed extraordinary teamwork when it comes to group defence, food hunting, and sharing the responsibilities of caring for a young calf. 

6. Elephant trunks function as their hands

An elephant’s trunk is more than just a nose for smelling and breathing, and it also functions very much like a long arm to grab food and items, dig through soil and tree trunks, and even play. Elephants also rely on their trunks to consume water. They can pour up to 12 litres of water into their mouths. They enjoy a refreshing shower by sucking up water and spraying it back over their bodies with the handy trunks. There are around 100,000 different muscles in the trunk alone, with the “finger” or spikes located at the end to help pick up small objects. 

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7. Elephants tusks are actually their teeth

Elephant tusks are actually enlarged incisor teeth that first appear when elephants are around two years old. These tusks serve several important functions for elephants. They are used for digging to access food and water sources, as well as for stripping bark off of trees. For male elephants, the tusks are especially crucial – they tend to be larger in size and are used in battles to establish dominance within the herd.

8. Elephants are vegetarians 

Elephants are herbivores, with a diet consisting entirely of vegetation. Despite being the largest land mammal on the planet, their entire diet consists of roots, grasses, fruits, and bark. However, it’s the sheer volume of food they consume that helps the animal get to their massive size. An adult elephant can eat up to 300 pounds of food in a single day.

9. Elephants have incredible thick skin

Elephants’ thick hides do not mean they don’t get upset easily, but rather that the animal physically has very thick skin that protects them from the brutal heat and sun. The skin is also extremely dry, and the numerous folds and wrinkles can collect and store moisture when elephants bathe in water and mud.

10. Elephants are highly intelligent creatures 

Elephants are regarded as one of the world’s most intelligent animals, comparable to great apes and dolphins. They have demonstrated the ability to make and use tools with their trunks, experience complex emotions such as compassion and grief, and have shown evidence of self-awareness when presented with a mirror.

11. Elephant poaching for ivory has destroyed 90% of elephant population in the past century

One of the most unfortunate facts about elephants is their relationship with the ivory trade. Ivory, found in elephant tusks, has been an incredibly lucrative industry for centuries, often seen as a status symbol. Due to massive illegal poaching in the 1970s and 1980s to satisfy the demand for ivory, particularly in Asia, around 90% of Africa’s elephant population has been wiped out in the past century. Although many countries have now banned the ivory trade, more than 20,000 elephants are still killed every year to meet the continuing demand in places like China and Japan.

12. Human-elephant conflicts have been on the rise

Due to growing human population density and farming expansion, particularly in countries in Africa, the overlap between human settlements and wildlife habitats has fueled conflicts. From crop-raiding elephants in local farms, which are often the sole source of income for many people, to the degradation of natural habitats due to land development, the conservation of elephants and their ecosystems is greatly needed.

Featured image by EO Photographer: William Fortescue

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