7 Interesting Facts About Elephants That You Probably Didn't Know
Elephants are the largest land animals on the planet.
Cover image via El RegionalRecently, Malaysia mourned the death of a young elephant who was killed in a lorry collision on Mother's Day
The video showed the mother elephant refusing to leave her dead calf for over five hours after it was struck by a lorry near the Belum-Temenggor Forest Reserve.
In this article, we will share some facts about elephants you might not know — but definitely should.
Image via Harian Metro
1. Elephants have extraordinary memory
According to research done on elephants, they can remember people, places, and experiences throughout their entire lives.
For example, elephants are able to recall events that happened to them in the past, even after many years. Most fascinating of all, they can remember the exact locations of routine activities, such as sources of food and places where accidents occurred.
Image via BH Online
2. Elephants are known to be highly social creatures that live in groups
Some species can form groups ranging from four to 100 elephants.
They work together to find food, protect one another from predators, and support each other during difficult times. Elephants also spend time engaging in fun activities together, such as chasing one another, playing with objects, bathing in mud, and more.
Image via Wildlife SOS
3. Elephants communicate through scent, various vocalisations, gestures, and physical postures
They can warn other elephants of danger or approaching rumbling sounds by flapping their ears, lifting one or both front legs off the ground, or extending their trunks to touch another elephant.
In addition, elephants can produce a scent known as "wallows" to communicate with one another about the presence of others in a particular area.
Image via Charles J.Sharp/Sci News
4. Elephants have surprisingly long gestation periods
Elephants have an exceptionally long gestation period of 22 months, making them the mammals with the longest pregnancy among all land animals. That's a long time — almost two years!
Image via Aisha Safira/Bobo.id
5. Is it true that elephants can swim?
You probably never thought elephants could swim, right? With their heavy bodies weighing between 2,000 and 6,000kg, it seems almost impossible for them to stay afloat.
But it turns out that elephants are actually excellent swimmers! What's most impressive is that they use all four legs while in the water. Their trunks also play an important role in helping them stay stable, maintain balance, and even breathe.
Image via CRI
6. Elephants have a unique way of cooling down their bodies
They suck water into their trunks and spray it over their bodies. Because elephants are large animals, they tend to heat up quickly.
In addition, mud helps keep their skin moist. Elephants can also hold their breath underwater and may submerge themselves completely to help regulate their body temperature.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
7. Elephants, much like humans, can feel sadness when a member of their group dies
This is why the incident of a baby elephant being hit by a lorry deeply affected many people — the mother elephant mourned her calf with visible grief.
Elephants have the ability to remember individuals in their group and will hold on to memories of their loved ones forever.
Image via bisakhadatta/Pixabay
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