Interesting facts about elephants. How long does an elephant live in the wild?

Many adults and children do not remain indifferent to elephants. These large animals exude strength and power, but at the same time, calmness and kindness. Perhaps everyone knows that elephants can serve their masters where their smaller relatives cannot cope: in impassable jungles.

Someone will remember that since ancient times these animals have been used in war - for example, in India, as well as in the Hellenistic states (for example, in the army of Alexander the Great). But other facts about these royal representatives of the fauna often remain “behind the scenes”.

Elephants are the largest “land” creatures living on earth. They once inhabited a fairly vast territory, but at the moment they remain only in Africa and Southeast Asia. Accordingly, these animals are usually divided into two types - African and Indian. The largest of them is the African elephant.

Strictly speaking, there are two species living on the African continent, which until recently were considered subspecies - savannah and forest. They differ from each other in the shape of their ears: in the first they resemble triangles, and in the second they are almost round.

By the way, it is worth mentioning separately about this organ of hearing. Interestingly, the ears of an African elephant at maturity can reach two meters in length and four in width, which is almost three times larger than those of its Indian counterpart. And this is not just a whim of nature. The fact is that an elephant needs ears not only for their intended purpose - to hear. Due to their large surface, they play the role of a fan: when the animal waves them diligently, it cools down. Which is important for someone who has to live under the scorching sun of Africa.

Another interesting external feature of elephants is their tusks (obviously, they inherited them from distant relatives - mammoths). In fact, these are the incisors of the upper jaw. They continue to grow throughout the elephant's life (which, by the way, is quite long - 50-70 years). In addition to them, animals have four more teeth, each of which “lives” for about 8-10 years, and then a new one grows in its place.

Such replacements do not occur like in humans - once in a lifetime. An elephant can have new teeth replacing old ones six times. And when the last incisors are worn down, the end of the animal itself comes. The weight of an African elephant can reach 10-12 tons. Of these, over 5 kg are in the brain, in the number of convolutions in which these animals are surpassed only by whales. Therefore, it is not surprising that the elephant is one of the most intelligent living creatures.

He not only masters the trainer’s commands well, but also recognizes his reflection in the mirror, which indicates the presence of self-awareness. Some studies have shown the presence of visual-intellectual memory in these animals (for example, one elephant remembered a whole series of letters and numbers). Emotions are also common to them: compassion, playfulness, grief, willingness to cooperate, as well as a sense of humor.

Tactile contact plays a very important role in elephant communication. The trunk, which also serves as a kind of “hand”, helps them in this. It is these organs that they stroke or grasp each other when greeting.

The height of the African elephant is comparable to the Indian elephant and ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 meters. And the largest specimen officially recorded was shot in 1974 near the village of Mucusso in Angola. This animal was about 4 m tall and weighed 12.24 tons.

For a long time, people believed in the myth that elephants supposedly go to die in a special “cemetery” located in an inaccessible place. This legend was spread because the tusks of the dead animals were nowhere to be found. But in fact, it turned out that these “fangs” serve as food for African porcupines. The latter thus replenish the reserves of minerals necessary for their body.

Elephants are real “single mothers”. They live in herds where complete matriarchy reigns, and the eldest female is in charge. And males in the herd can only be found in childhood - younger than 15-20 years. After reaching puberty, they go to live separately.

When a female elephant comes into heat, she looks for one of these single elephants to mate. But they do not create families, and after mating everyone goes home. Pregnancy in a female is the longest of all land mammals, almost two years, or more precisely 22 months.

Both African and Indian elephants, oddly enough, are in danger of extinction. In the Red Book, the first is listed in the “Vulnerable” section, and the second is “Threatened”. This means that if people do not take measures to save them, then one day they risk being left without such strong and intellectually developed helpers.

Very high intelligence and good memory, as a result of which they are easy to train.

Previously, elephants were used for military purposes, but today they are depicted on money, logos of famous brands, as well as on coats of arms and flags.

In this article you will learn interesting facts about elephants in general, as well as about their physical and moral characteristics in particular.

How long do elephants live?

Before answering this question, it is important to determine the conditions in which the elephant lives.

For example, free elephants live for about 60 years. But in captivity they live up to 80 years of age.

This is due to the fact that in the wild, elephants constantly face dangers, natural disasters and poaching.

An interesting fact is that one of the most famous elephants named Lin Wang lived 86 years. Thanks to this, he was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the elephant that lived in captivity for the longest number of years.

Lin Wang participated in military operations and performed in the circus arena, but spent most of his life in the zoo.

Elephant pregnancy

Interesting facts related to elephant pregnancy are very popular, so let's understand the basics of this issue.

First of all, it must be said that a female elephant can only become pregnant on certain days of the year, although they can mate at any time. Pregnancy in an elephant lasts longer than in all land mammals, as much as 22 months.

A newborn elephant weighs about 100 kg and is born completely blind. For the next 10 years of his life, he is still considered small and needs constant protection.

Only after reaching 15 years of age can elephants live independently and create their own families.

What do elephants eat

Typically, elephants eat leaves and grass. However, during the dry and rainy season, fruits, berries and even tree bark can also become food for them.

Under natural conditions, these giants eat approximately 300 kg of vegetation every day. Elephants spend about 16 hours a day searching for and eating food.

However, in captivity they eat half and sometimes three times less. Elephants enjoy eating vegetables, bread and even grains.

Elephants need a lot of fluid for normal body function, so they drink 100-300 liters of water a day.

When they are sick, they drink even more.

Trunk, tusks and ears

Below are interesting facts about the most noticeable parts of an elephant's body.

• An elephant's trunk does not have a nasal bone.
• Because the elephant's trunk is made up of 150,000 different muscles, it is extremely flexible and strong.
• At one time, an elephant can pick up 6-8 liters of water with its trunk and then pour it into its mouth.
• An elephant can easily lift up to 300 kg with its trunk.
• The length of the trunk is approximately 1.5 meters.
• Thanks to their trunk, elephants can easily and easily swim across rivers. To do this, they are completely immersed in water, and their trunk is held high above the surface.
• If elephants have to dig something or carry heavy objects, in addition to their trunk, they also use their tusks. The length of the tusks is from 2 to 2.5 m, with a weight of about 100 kg.
• An elephant's ear weighs 80-90 kg, and is an excellent thermostat for this animal. During the hottest part of the day, elephants flap their ears to the sides, thereby avoiding overheating. In cold weather, on the contrary, they try to press their ears to their body in order to retain heat longer.

Are elephants afraid of mice?

An interesting fact is that there is a strong belief that elephants are afraid of mice. Legend has it that the elephant is afraid that a mouse will get into its trunk and disrupt the main processes of life.

For the first time, such a statement was made by the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder. However, modern scientists have completely dispelled this myth.

In fact, elephants are simply irritated by any sudden movements near them. That is, if the mouse sat in one place, it would not disturb the elephant in any way.

Smart animals

Scientists have proven that elephants have extremely developed self-awareness and extremely good memory. Moreover, they, like , are able to distinguish their reflection in the mirror.

As for memory, one interesting fact cannot fail to be mentioned. The fact is that elephants accurately remember the many kilometers of trails along which they walk, and then walk along them for a long time.

Mental abilities of elephants

• An elephant's brain weighs about 5 kg, making it the largest of any animal.
• Elephants are capable of experiencing a wide variety of things. Therefore, joy, sadness and compassion are all well known to them.
• Elephants are highly trainable and can obey many commands from people.
• Through ultrasound, elephants can warn their relatives of various dangers.
• An interesting fact is that elephants have their own burial ritual. When one of the members of the herd dies, his fellow tribesmen throw earth and stones at the dead body. After this, they sit next to the deceased for several days, thus expressing their grief.

Some more interesting facts about elephants

1. Did you know that an elephant's sense of smell is 4 times better than that of bloodhounds?
2. However, these mammals have it much worse. An elephant can examine any object at a maximum distance of 25 m. In ancient times, hunters sat on a tamed elephant and penetrated into the middle of the herd in order to look out for their prey.
3. An elephant's heart beats at 30 beats per minute and weighs about 25 kg.
4. Previously, elephants were used for fighting purposes. Their menacing appearance and gigantic size terrified the enemy. However, then inventive minds came up with an antidote: they coated the pigs with a flammable substance, set them on fire, and directed them at the elephants. The pig's squeal and the frantic speed with which they rushed towards the elephants led the latter into panic.
5. Every 10 years, elephants are updated.
6. One working tusk can determine whether an elephant is right-handed or left-handed.
7. Elephants spend only about 3 hours a day sleeping, and spend the rest of the time searching for food.
8. Males prefer to live alone, while female elephants live in families.
9. If a herd of elephants begins to starve, then the female elephants separate from it and look for food on their own.
10. On average, during her entire life, a female elephant gives birth to about 9 cubs.
11. And this is a very interesting fact. Females do not give birth to their young alone. During childbirth, there is always another elephant present, who immediately takes the newborn so that the mother does not accidentally crush him.
12. Elephants have the ability to hear sounds through the vibration of their legs at a distance of 50 km.
13. An elephant tooth weighs 3 kg.
14. Immediately after birth, baby elephants do not know how to control their trunk. And only at the age of two does this thing begin to obey them.
15. If an elephant gets sick, its relatives look after it and bring it food.
16. If an elephant accidentally finds a lonely baby elephant, he will “adopt” it, rather than abandon it alone to certain death.
17. When an elephant's teeth wear out, it dies.
18. The pattern of veins on elephants' ears is unique and can be compared to human fingerprints.
19. Thanks to their good memory, elephants can remember their offenders for many years and, on occasion, take revenge on them. So don't offend these little ones.
20. Elephants are unable to jump.
21. Interesting fact: only the elephant, among all animals, can stand on its head.
22. Fun fact: elephants love to drink beer and can even make their own beer. To do this, they throw various fruits into the pit and then wait until they begin to ferment.
23. Elephants are unpredictable and can attack for no apparent reason. Therefore, no matter how cute the animals may seem to us, remember that the wild has its own laws, which in no case should be violated.

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1.Elephants are the closest relatives of the now extinct mammoths.

2. Today there are three species of these unique animals: Indian elephant, African savannah and African forest. Previously there were 40 species.

3. The African elephant is recognized as the largest mammal that lives on Earth.

4.The largest elephant ever known was a male African elephant killed in Angola in 1974, weighing about 12,240 kilograms.

5. The average body weight of these animals is about 5 tons, and the body length is 6-7 meters.

6. Elephants are considered not only the largest mammals on Earth, but also one of the most sociable animals: an elephant cannot live alone, it needs communication with its relatives.

7. Elephants are amazing animals, which, as scientists have established, are characterized by self-awareness and experiences of various feelings and emotions, similar to human feelings. These animals are sad if something is wrong in their herd, and they are happy, for example, if a baby elephant is born. Elephants can even smile.

8.Elephants have an excellent memory. They recognize their relatives and brothers even after a very long separation. They are also vindictive and can take revenge for insults caused to them even after several decades. However, they remember their patrons just as well, and will never forget their kindness.

9. There are up to half a million African elephants in the world; Asian elephants are about 10 times smaller.

10.Over the past century and a half, the average length of elephant tusks in both Africa and India has been halved. This is due to the fact that the largest representatives of the population become victims of poachers, and the length of the tusks is a genetically inherited trait.

11.Elephants are large and very intelligent animals; they have served man for peaceful and military purposes since ancient times.

12. Elephant herds are always headed by old and experienced females. A change of leader occurs only due to the death of the former main elephant. Moreover, only females live in herds, while males prefer to exist separately.

13. Scientists have dispelled the myth that elephants have their own separate cemetery by conducting a series of experiments. However, during these experiments it was found that elephants are indeed very respectful of the remains of their relatives: they easily recognize the bones of their fellow tribesmen in a pile of other bones, they will never step on the bones of a dead elephant, and will also try to push them aside so as not to other members of the herd came.

14. The trunk of the trunk can simultaneously hold up to eight liters of water. Also, the trunk has more than 40,000 receptors, so elephants have a very good sense of smell.

15. The most important difference between female Indian elephants and males is the absence of tusks. In some cases they are there, but remain invisible. The tusks of male Indian elephants reach one and a half meters in length.

16.Elephants are self-aware and recognize their reflection in the mirror, just like dolphins and some species of monkeys.

17. The average weight of an elephant is 5 tons, however, they walk very quietly. You will hardly notice if an elephant calmly approaches you from behind. The thing is that the ball of an elephant’s foot is designed in such a way that it can spring and expand, taking up more and more space as space is transferred to it: imagine that you glued a feather pillow to your sole - about the same thing with elephants. That is why they walk through swamps with ease.

18. Almost all animals are capable of running, that is, moving in such a way when the whole body is completely in the air for a few fractions of a second. Elephants, due to their large mass, cannot lift their body into the air and run “halfway”: the front legs move at a trot, and the hind legs support the entire weight and are rearranged as if walking quickly. In this mode, the elephant can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h.

19.Elephants live in herds. Female elephants live in herds of 10-15 individuals. They raise their young together and take care of each other: they can bring water or food to an elephant that has been injured in some way and cannot move.

20. Elephant cubs live in a herd until they are 12-14 years old, after which they can either stay or separate and create their own family.

21. All adult elephants sleep standing up, huddled together and, if possible, leaning on each other. If the elephant is old and has very large tusks, then he places them on a tree or termite mound. 22. An elephant can leave its herd only if it dies or is caught by people.

23. Baby elephants can easily afford to fall on their side, which they successfully do, but for some reason this habit goes away with age.

24. Elephants change teeth about 6 times throughout their lives. The last teeth grow at the age of 40.

25. The average lifespan of an elephant is 60 to 70 years. At the same time, long-livers are known among animals living in captivity. The oldest elephant named Lin Wang lived 86 years (1917-2003). This elephant served in the Chinese army and fought during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), then in the construction of monuments, performed in the circus, but lived most of its life in the Taipei Zoo in Taiwan. Lin Wang was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the elephant that survived the longest in captivity.

26.Elephants swim well. Having put their trunk out of the water, they are even capable of diving to depths. The speed at which an elephant swims is 2-6 km/h.

27.Elephants usually communicate using infrasound, so for a long time the elephant language remained unsolved.

28. Research by Christian Herbst from the University of Vienna on the larynx of a dead elephant showed that elephants use vocal cords to communicate. The “vocabulary” of the elephant language turned out to be quite rich - Herbst recorded about 470 different stable signals that elephants use. They can use them to communicate with each other over long distances, warn of danger, report births, and use various addresses to members of the herd, depending on their position in the hierarchy.

29. Elephants’ teeth change 6-7 times during their lives, as they quickly wear down due to their developed appetite. Very old elephants are usually females, since the herd helps feed the elephant who has lost her last teeth, but old, lonely males usually die of hunger.

30. To communicate with each other, elephants use many sounds, trunk gestures and postures. At long distances, infrasounds are used. Thanks to this ability, elephants can hear each other at a distance of 10 km.

31.Elephants do not sweat: they do not have sebaceous glands. In order not to “cook” in the heat, elephants use mud baths or ears.

32. Elephants’ ears are penetrated by a network of blood vessels, which, in extreme heat, expand and release heat very abundantly into the environment. During cold periods they narrow.

33. The average amount of food an elephant eats per day is 300 kilograms. As for the amount of water you drink, it varies. Depending on air humidity, an elephant can drink from 100 to 300 liters per day.

34.Elephants are excellent dodgers. He does everything the elephant needs with his trunk: eats, picks leaves, picks up objects, waters himself. Elephants have been known to draw or open padlocks with a key.

35.A female elephant can only conceive a baby for a few days a year.

36.Pregnancy in elephants lasts longer than in any other living creatures on Earth - 22 months. A newborn elephant weighs 100-120 kilograms.

37. Just like people, elephants are born toothless. Then they grow milk tusks, which are later replaced by molar tusks. Elephants' teeth wear down very quickly; when the teeth are worn down, they fall out and new ones grow in their place.

38. An elephant's trunk is actually an extension of its upper lip. With the help of their trunk, elephants make tactile contact, say hello, can take objects, draw, drink and wash themselves.

39. When meeting, elephants greet each other with a special ritual: they wrap their trunks around each other.

40.Elephants also turned out to be capable of learning human language. An elephant named Kaushik, living in Asia, has learned to imitate human speech, or rather, five words: annyong (hello), anja (sit), aniya (no), nuo (lie down) and choah (good). Kaushik not only mindlessly repeats them, but, according to observers, understands their meaning, since these are either commands that he carries out, or words of encouragement and disapproval.

41. Male elephants prefer solitude, but close to any herd.

42. Elephants, like people, can be left-handed or right-handed. Depending on which tusk the elephant works more, one of them becomes smaller. Most elephants are right-handed.

44. The African elephant has 26 caudal vertebrae, which is much less than the Asian elephant, which has 33.

45. When hunger sets in in a herd of elephants, all the animals disperse and feed separately.

46.Elephants are very smart. The elephant's brain weighs about 5 kilograms and is more complex than that of other mammals. In terms of the complexity of their brain structure, elephants are second only to whales. It has been proven that elephants experience feelings of joy, grief, compassion, are capable of cooperation and are easy to train.

47. Elephants are very friendly animals. In addition to greeting them when they meet, they help little elephants. Just as a human child holds on to its mother’s hand, so a baby elephant holds on to a female elephant with its trunk. If an elephant from the herd sees a baby elephant slipping, he will immediately help him.

49.Elephants are susceptible to blood diseases, arthritis and tuberculosis.

50. Elephants not only have a high level of intelligence, but also sensitive hearts. When someone from an elephant family dies, his relatives lift him up with their trunks, trumpet loudly, and then roll him to a hole and cover him with branches and throw earth at him. Then the elephants sit silently next to the body for several more days. There are also cases where elephants also try to bury people, sometimes mistaking sleeping people for dead.

The elephant is the largest mammal that lives on planet Earth. There are only two types of these animals - Asian (Indian) and African. The second one is taller and larger than the first one. Such an adult individual can weigh more than 12 tons - an elephant can easily knock down a large tree with one leg. The Indian elephant is distinguished by the absence of tusks; if it has any, you cannot see them from the outside. In males, tusks can reach one and a half meters in length.
One third of an elephant's tusk is hidden under the skull. In modern times, there are no individuals with huge tusks, because all such elephants were exterminated by hunters many decades ago, and the length of the tusk is a genetically inherited trait. Today, it is rare to find elephants that have tusks even half the size of their ancestors. This part of the body grows throughout life and is an indicator of age. Elephants, like people, can be “left-handed” or “right-handed,” because they adapt to work with one or another tusk. For this reason, one of the tusks is much shorter than the other, and it wears out quickly. Elephant tusks can differ not only in length, but even in shape, as well as in location - some have tusks growing to the side. Scientists distinguish elephants from each other by their ears and tusks. The African elephant, when sleeping while standing, places its heavy tusks on a termite mound or tree branch, and in captivity rests them against the openings of a lattice or a wall.

The elephant is a family animal. Several families gather into one herd and live together. All relatives are there. In Africa, one herd can number up to several thousand individuals. The leader of the herd is one old but experienced elephant. They have a true matriarchy. There are usually 15-30 elephants with cubs in a herd. If there is a shortage of food, all members of the “community” disperse, and each elephant feeds alone. Also, the herd sometimes breaks up due to intra-family problems. A young elephant lives with a family for up to 15 years, and then creates its own. The pregnancy of an elephant is truly a heavy burden. It lasts about 22 months. A newborn elephant calf can weigh 120 kg. But no matter how strong and big it is born, it is a rather helpless creature and is protected all the time, since it is very easy prey for predators.
The African elephant is divided into three more subspecies: one has triangular-shaped ears, the second has rounder ears, and the third is the dwarf elephant. The latter is a very rare specimen; it is quite possible that these are isolated individuals with pathological abnormalities. The pointy-eared elephant is found more often in savannas, while the round-eared elephant lives in forests. If you look from the other side, the pointy-eared elephant is much larger than its counterpart: the height of the first often reaches three and a half meters, and sometimes even four, while the height of the second never exceeds 3 meters and on average is two meters and fifty centimeters. Among Asian elephants, there are clearly two subspecies - Thai and Indian. The second one is much larger, it has a thin body and long front legs. The parks contain mostly Thais.


The ears of African elephants can be up to two meters in diameter, and the distance between the extreme points of both ears can be up to four. Each individual has its own unique ear rim. Occasionally they wave them to cool their bodies. An elephant's trunk is its lips and nose. He breathes through it, and also uses it for touching, smelling and grasping objects. An elephant has about 500 muscles in its trunk. The baby elephant learns to control it correctly until it is two years old.

The elephant is a herbivore. Due to their gigantic size, they have to search for food for a long time. In fact, the entire life of elephants is spent in search of food - they do this from 15 to 20 hours a day. It feeds for at least 15 hours a day and eats 40 to 450 kg of plants, mostly leaves and grass. In captivity they receive 10 kg of carrots, 30 kg of hay and 8-10 kg of bread, and occasionally grain up to 10 kg. The daily diet also includes vitamins D, A, minerals such as salt, calcium, and nutritional supplements. Elephants drink from 100 to 300 liters per day, depending on the temperature around them. If an elephant drinks 250 liters every day consistently, this indicates a disease. With tuberculosis, he drinks 600 liters daily.


The elephant is also a social animal. When they meet, they greet each other with special rituals. One of them is hugging with trunks. If an elephant sees that a baby from their herd has fallen, it will extend its trunk to it and pick it up. It looks just like people holding children's hands. Elephants are very loyal; they remain faithful to their herd. They are sad when a newborn elephant calf, other members of their family or herd die. During joyful events, they are able to show feelings of happiness and fun. Elephants even know how to laugh.


Of all the animal species besides us humans, only elephants have some sort of funeral ritual. After the death of one of the herd members, his relatives first try to raise him with their trunks, and then trumpet loudly. After some time, the elephants become silent and then begin to throw earth and branches on the body of the deceased. There are cases when elephants tried to bury a person in the same way, mistakenly considering him dead.
A distinctive feature of these large animals is the ability to hear with their feet. Communication occurs through stomping, this signal is heard by all brothers at a distance of up to 50 kilometers. They pick up ultra-low-frequency sounds that pass through the ground with their limbs. The African elephant communicates with its fellow animals at frequencies so low that our human ears cannot detect them.


The elephant is a long-liver. On average, he lives up to 75-80 years. But elephants often did not live to old age throughout history. In the last century, their numbers have declined sharply. And there was a reason for this - tusks, which were considered the most valuable ornamental material. But now times have changed and elephants are under state protection, and poachers face severe penalties for their extermination.


Despite its powerful appearance, the elephant is the most gentle creature. By destroying the natural habitat of these animals, people destroy elephants too. Nature is harmonious in its integrity. Let's appreciate these amazing creatures!

© Inga Korneshova article written specifically for the website website

Elephants are considered not only the largest mammals on Earth, but also one of the most sociable animals: an elephant cannot live alone; it needs communication with its relatives. It is noteworthy that elephants communicate at low frequencies, and the distance between two talking elephants can reach 10 kilometers.

Elephant cemetery

Scientists have dispelled the myth that elephants have their own separate cemetery by conducting a series of experiments. However, during these experiments it was found that elephants are indeed very respectful of the remains of their relatives: they easily recognize the bones of their fellow tribesmen in a pile of other bones, they will never step on the bones of a dead elephant, and will also try to push them aside so as not to other members of the herd came.

Elephants don't sweat

No matter how strange this fact about elephants may seem, they really do not sweat: they do not have sebaceous glands. In order not to “cook” in the heat, elephants use mud baths or ears. Elephants' ears are penetrated by a network of blood vessels, which, in extreme heat, expand and release heat very abundantly into the environment. During cold periods they narrow.

Silent as an elephant

The average weight of an elephant is 12 tons, but they walk very quietly. You will hardly notice if an elephant calmly approaches you from behind. The thing is that the ball of an elephant’s foot is designed in such a way that it can spring and expand, taking up more and more space as space is transferred to it: imagine that you glued a feather pillow to your sole - about the same thing with elephants. That is why they walk through swamps with ease.

Elephants can't run

Almost all animals are capable of running, i.e. move in such a way when the whole body is completely in the air for a few fractions of a second. Elephants, due to their large mass, cannot lift their body into the air and run “halfway”: the front legs move at a trot, and the hind legs support the entire weight and are rearranged as if walking quickly. In this mode, the elephant can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h.

Sexual orientation of elephants

Elephants are homosexuals and that's a fact! The thing is that female elephants are ready to mate only once a year, and an elephant’s pregnancy lasts 22 months (the longest pregnancy among mammals), and males need to mate more often. That is why they resort to each other's help and practice same-sex relationships.

Elephants live in herds

Female elephants live in herds of 10-15 individuals. They raise their young together and take care of each other: they can bring water or food to an elephant that has been injured in some way and cannot move. Elephant cubs live in a herd until they are 12-14 years old, after which they can either stay or separate and start their own family. Male elephants prefer solitude, but close to a herd. An elephant can only leave its herd if it dies or is caught by people.

Elephants live 40-60 years. The oldest elephant is Lin Wang from Taiwan, who died in 2003 at the age of 86. This elephant served in the Chinese army and fought during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

Elephants are excellent dodgers

He does everything the elephant needs with his trunk: eats, picks leaves, picks up objects, waters himself. Elephants have been known to draw or open padlocks with a key.

Elephants are very smart

The elephant's brain weighs about 5 kilograms and is more complex than that of other mammals. In terms of the complexity of their brain structure, elephants are second only to whales. It has been proven that elephants experience feelings of joy, grief, compassion, are capable of cooperation and are easy to train.

Elephants are gluttonous

Elephants feed for about 16 hours a day, you could say that all they do is eat. An elephant can eat up to 450 kilograms of vegetation per day. On hot days, an elephant drinks about 300 liters of water, which is also observed when sick. At normal temperatures, the dose is reduced to 100 liters.

Elephants are becoming extinct

It is no secret that elephant tusks are a very expensive material, and poachers, unfortunately, do not miss this type of income. Elephants' tusks grow 7 inches (18 cm) per year and can reach lengths of more than 20 feet (6 meters). If the elephant dies on its own, then the tusks are eaten by African porcupines, thus trying to satisfy their mineral hunger. In many countries, killing an elephant is punishable by death.

Elephants sleep standing up

All adult elephants sleep standing up, huddled together and, if possible, leaning on each other. If the elephant is old and has very large tusks, then he places them on a tree or termite mound. An interesting fact about elephants is that baby elephants can easily afford to fall on their side, which they successfully do, but for some reason this habit goes away with age.

Elephants are killers

Most often, in circuses, trainers are killed by elephants, because the latter accidentally sit on them or step on them. In the early 20th century, several elephants were executed in the United States because they crushed people. For example, the circus elephant Topsy was sentenced to death by AC shock in 1903 for crushing three people. And in 1916, they tried to shoot an elephant named Big Mary for a similar offense, but a few hours later she was hanged from a crane.