Elephant

The African elephant is the largest animal that walks the earth. Adult elephants can weigh as much as 10 cars! And they are so tall that if an elephant raises its trunk, it can reach a second story window. Elephants have huge tusks that they use for defence. Elephants also have huge ears that help them cool down in hot weather. When an elephant flaps its ears, it cools down as if we were standing under a fan.

How elephants behave

Elephants like to live together and they always travel in a group. Usually there are 9-12 elephants in one group who live like one big family. And each such family has its own head, like a mum or dad, who chooses where they go. Elephants that live in the forest behave a little differently than those that live on the plain. Baby elephants in the forest become independent more quickly because there are no dangerous predators like lions.

Where elephants live and how they live

Elephants live in places that are warm and have lots of trees, especially in Africa. But now they can only be found in special places called parks and reserves.

Despite their large size, elephants can move very quickly and easily. They can even swim! When an elephant swims, you can only see its forehead and the tip of its trunk above the water. They can also climb steep hills. Elephants love to walk and can walk dozens of kilometres in one night in search of food or to get away from danger. When elephants are in danger, they help each other and work together to protect baby elephants. Elephants also have an amazing voice that sounds like a loud whistle! It's like blowing a loud trumpet. It's their way of talking to each other.

How elephants give birth to babies

The arrival of a baby elephant takes a very long time - a whole 22 months after daddy elephant and mummy elephant decide to have a baby. That's almost like two birthdays in a row!

When the baby elephant is born, it is already big and weighs as much as 100kg dumbbells weigh at the gym! The baby elephant's height reaches the height of a table and its trunk is shorter than that of adult elephants. A baby elephant doesn't have tusks like daddy and mummy.

A baby elephant needs the care and attention of its mum until it is five years old and can look after itself on its own. Elephants become adults when they are about 12-20 years old and old when they are about 60-70 years old.

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