Facts About Elephants You Should Know
Facts About Elephants You Should Know : The huge African Elephant, one of nature’s many gifts to Rwanda, may be seen when on safari in Rwanda. Only the African elephant and the Asian elephant survive in the wild, with the latter living in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. The savanna elephant and forest elephant are genetically distinct subspecies found in Rwanda.
For those visiting Uganda’s national parks, you may see the Savanna Elephant at Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Semuliki National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Kibale National Park are home to the forest elephant, which is more timid and rarely seen. Here are some interesting facts about elephants that you should know;
- Elephants are the largest land mammals on earth.
This truth may seem self-evident after seeing so many elephant pictures and videos on social media. Question: How big is “large”? An adult African elephant is 3 to 4 meters in length and weighs between 2250kgs and 6530kgs. Its inability to leap might be due to the extra weight. The elephant’s enormous size belies its brain weight of 5.4kg. An elephant’s daily caloric intake can range from 136kg of food to 30-50 gallons of water, with the animal sucking in up to 15 litres at a time. This is feasible due to the fact that an elephant’s day consists entirely of feeding. Despite its massive size, the elephant can still sprint at 40km/h and even swim because to its long trunk, which doubles as a snorkel.
- The elephant’s trunk has multiple uses.
Elephants are recognized by their distinctive trunks. It may perform important functions such as breathing, feeding, and functioning as the top lip. That’s not the end of it. Elephant calves can be carried by the trunk, which is powerful enough to lift weights up to 700 pounds. However, the accuracy of the trunk allows it to do delicate tasks like plucking grass straws. There are a lot of uses for an elephant’s trunk: it can suck in water, dig for moisture underground, spray water on itself when it becomes heated, and demonstrate affection by petting calf or other animals with it. It’s amazing what a single elephant limb can do.
- Elephants are social animals
Elephant herds are led by females, with the dominating matriarch at the top of the hierarchy. The dominating matriarch, females, and calves form the bulk of the herd. The elephant’s male behavior is to go out and be alone for a while before returning to find a mate. Because the death of the dominant matriarch immediately promotes the eldest daughter to the position of dominant matriarch, the family structure is hierarchical. Elephants have a strong maternal urge to protect and nurture their young. The dominating matriarch protects the herd by keeping it away from fires and other hazards, and if conditions in the wild get too difficult, she can divide the family up to enhance their chances of survival.
- Elephants have a unique way of communicating to each other
Elephants communicate using a variety of noises, including purrs, chirps, high-pitched squeaks, and trumpets. Some of them are so low that the human ear could overlook them. Elephants may have a hidden language for a variety of reasons. These noises serve as reminders to the herd to go to a watering hole or to express a readiness to mate.
The elephant’s ears are important for communication, too. If you’re ever in doubt about whether an elephant is African or Asian, look to its ears for guidance. The shape of the African elephant’s ears resembles a map of Africa. Additionally, they can hear a call from an elephant 5 kilometers away and dissipate heat when flapped.
- Elephants are really intelligent animals
Empathy is a sign of elephant intellect, as is the capacity to recognize and express one’s feelings. They have been seen weeping over a deceased member of their family and are able to demonstrate empathy by calming one other with their trunks. The ability to recognize oneself in a mirror is unique to dolphins, which have self-awareness that most animals lack. Nature has also endowed them with a sharp memory that has allowed them to survive and flourish in the wild. They may recall a certain water source from the past thanks to their strong memory.
Rwanda wildlife safaris in Akagera National Park can allow you to see these creatures in the wild. When they’re out in the wild, there are no actual threats. Humans are the primary threat to these animals, since they are targeted for their tusks, which are used in the ivory trade. In addition, considering the rate at which the growing population is settling in what should be the Elephant’s habitat, habitat loss is the actual threat. When poachers and habitat destruction are not an issue, elephants can live for 50 to 70 years.
