Elephants walking in a line next to river

Interesting Elephant Facts

Here you’ll find an amazing resource of useful elephant facts and information about these loveable creatures. Did you know that elephants are used as working animals to support communities in many places around the world?

How do elephants drink?

It is a common myth that elephants drink water through their trunks. The trunk is vital to the feeding and drinking process for an elephant, but they cannot drink water through their trunks alone. Elephants suck water up part way into their trunk and then use the trunk to spray water into their mouth to drink.

The trunk is a combination of an elephant’s nose and upper lip, used to touch, grab, hold and smell. A fully grown elephant’s trunk can reach up to two metres (around 6-7 feet) long and can lift weights of up to 350 kilograms.

What do elephants eat in the wild?

Elephants are herbivores and eat a wide range of food sources in the wild. Some species of elephant, such as the African elephant, can eat up to 300 kilograms of food every day to sustain themselves. In comparison, a human adult will eat around 1.5-2 kilograms of food per day.

How long do elephants live?

Typically, the life expectancy of an elephant ranges from 50-60 years, depending on their situation, living conditions, diet available etc. Just like humans, elephants can die far earlier than this, from natural causes or due to human related activity, such as poaching.

When we think about the lifespan of a working elephant, we can draw upon a recent survey undertaken by scientists at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada. They examined records kept on Asian elephants used for work in the timber industry in Myanmar and concluded that working elephants reached a median age of 41 years.

The oldest elephant ever recorded was named Lin Wang, who died in a Taiwanese zoo at the age of 86.

How much can an elephant lift?

Elephants are incredibly strong animals. African elephants, the most powerful land animals on earth, can lift their own body weight, roughly 6,000 kilograms, and are capable of lifting over 200 kilograms with their trunks alone. This jaw-dropping strength is important for their survival, allowing them to move heavy objects, forage for food in trees, and protect themselves from predators.

Sadly, this strength has also led to the exploitation of working elephants in various industries. In logging, elephants are often used to carry heavy loads in areas that can’t be accessed by machinery, which can result in physical strain and injuries.

Equally, in the tourism industry, elephants are frequently burdened with rides and performances, often enduring harsh training methods and long hours of work without adequate rest or care. There is a lack of regulation on these practices in many regions, meaning that the welfare of working elephants is not always prioritised. At SPANA, we’re advocating for the ethical treatment of all working animals.

Do elephants breathe through their trunks?

Elephants do breathe through their trunk, which basically acts as an extension of their nose. The trunk is made up of muscles, blood vessels, and tissue, allowing for breathing, smelling, and moving objects. When an elephant breathes, air enters through the nostrils located at the tip of the trunk, which can extend and retract to take in air from different heights and angles.

Are elephants dangerous?

While elephants are generally gentle giants, they can be dangerous if provoked, threatened, or when protecting their young. Elephants are known to be highly intelligent and emotional animals, but they are also extremely powerful, and in the wild or even in captivity, an upset or frightened elephant can cause serious harm. At certain periods during the year, adult bulls can be particularly aggressive. This is known as Musth, and it can be identified by the secretion of a substance called temporin from the side of the elephant’s head. During this time, the elephant’s testosterone levels will spike by as much as 60 times as they actively seek out female cows to mate with.

How much do elephants weigh?

The weight of an adult elephant depends on which species we’re talking about. Asian elephants are generally smaller than their African counterparts, weighing between 2,250 and 5,000 kilograms. African elephants are the largest species of elephant, weighing an average of 5,443 kilograms. Some African elephants can reach a huge weight of 7,000 kilos. The largest African elephant ever recorded was found in Angola and reached a staggering weight of 10,886 kilos.