Did you know elephants have their own special way of talking to each other? Instead of using words like people, they make noises called infrasound. These sounds are so low that humans can’t hear them, but other elephants can hear them from up to 5 kilometres away! Elephants also rumble and trumpet loudly, and they use their trunks to touch and bond with each other. Sometimes they even send messages through smells, like when female elephants let others know they’re ready to have a baby.
Elephants live in family groups called herds. These herds are made up of grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, and their calves (baby elephants). The leader of the herd is called the matriarch; she’s the oldest and wisest elephant. She teaches the herd where to find food, water, and shelter during dry times. Elephants don’t like being in the sun too much, so they protect their skin by rolling in mud and throwing dust over themselves with their trunks. They only sleep a few hours a day because they are so busy traveling and eating!
Elephants don’t use sunscreen like people do – they roll around in muddy pools to keep their skin safe from the sun and pesky insects. The mud sticks to their skin and acts as a natural shield. After a mud bath, they’ll use their trunks to throw dust on their bodies for extra protection.
Elephants eat a lot of food, an adult male elephant needs about 150 kilograms of food every day. That’s like eating over 300 pizzas! They also drink about 200 litres of water daily, which is as much as two full bathtubs. Elephants eat plants like fruit, roots, bark, leaves, and grass, making them herbivores.
Elephants are really smart and can feel lots of emotions, just like us. When one of their herd members dies, elephants sometimes pause to stand over the body silently, and they may even cover it with leaves or branches. They might visit the spot again and carry bones or tusks with them. They also use their trunks to hug and comfort each other, just like people give hugs! Elephants are great swimmers too, and they use their trunks as snorkels to breathe while swimming. Baby elephants even suck their trunks like babies suck their thumbs.
A baby elephant, called a calf, is born after almost two years of pregnancy! When it’s born, it already weighs as much as an adult human and can walk just a few hours later. This is important because the calf needs to keep up with the herd to stay safe. Baby elephants drink milk from their moms for about six months and grow up with help from the whole herd. Boys leave the herd when they’re about 12–14 years old, while girls stay with the family forever.
Elephants have amazing features that help them survive. Their trunks are super useful – they can suck up water to drink, pick grass, grab food from trees, and even smell for danger. Trunks are also like musical instruments; elephants use them to make loud trumpeting sounds. Their tusks, which are long teeth, help them strip bark from trees to eat, defend themselves, and dig for water when it’s hard to find.
Elephants are a keystone species, which means they are super important to the environment. They help shape their homes by creating waterholes, knocking over trees, and spreading seeds. This helps many other animals and plants survive too! Protecting elephants means protecting all the other animals and plants that live with them. Sadly, elephants are in danger because of poaching and habitat loss, but there’s still hope!
Enjoying learning about elephants? We have more facts about elephants and their subspecies for you here.
You can help save elephants! The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) works hard to protect elephants in Africa and Asia. They rescue orphaned baby elephants and help them return to the wild. They also fight to stop the ivory trade and help farmers find ways to live peacefully alongside these big animals.
By donating to elephants, you can support programs that protect them.
Tell your friends about the challenges elephants face.
Small changes in how we care for the planet can make a big difference for wildlife.
Want to help protect these majestic creatures? You can adopt an elephant, from as little as £3, and contribute to their conservation! Your support will help organisations like DSWF continue their work to ensure a future for elephants. Visit our Adopt an Elephant page to learn how you can make a difference!
