Some titbits about the elephant and its life are given.
Ivory is one of the precious items much coveted. Several African countries have huge stockpiles of ivory stored, but are unable to dispose them because of the international ban on ivory trade. The ban came into effect because the international community was concerned at the alarming decline in elephant population. The population of the African elephant declined from around 1.3 million to about 60,000, a decline of more than 50%. Previously, even billiard balls were made from ivory. Other materials have now taken the place of ivory. Ivory is obtained from the tusks of elephants. Both the African male and female elephants have tusks. Only the Asian male elephants have tusks. The tusk can grow to a length of 10 feet and can weigh as much as 90kgs.
The trunk of an elephant is a unique organ. It serves several functions. It serves as a nose. The elephant has a powerful sense of smell. It is said that the elephant can smell food at a distance of four kilometres. It also serves as a suction pump. The trunk is used to gather water and an elephant will drink 30 to 50 gallons of water every day. The trunk is extremely sensitive and it is said that the trunk is capable of plucking a single blade of grass. The trunk also has exceptional strength. The trunk can easily break off a tree branch. The trunk is also used to feed the elephant. It is the trunk which takes the food to the mouth. In fact, it is only by using the trunk that an elephant is able to eat. If something happens to the trunk, the elephant will starve to death. The trunk is used by the elephant to give itself a spray bath. This is usually followed by a dust bath to keep way flies and ticks. The elephants breathe using their trunk a well as mouth. The trunk is also used to help smaller elephants which have fallen, to get up.
Elephants are good swimmers. An elephant while trotting can reach a top speed of 17kms/hr. African elephants rarely lie down, while Asian elephants do so. The elephant is the largest land animal and has the longest gestation period of 22 months. At birth, an elephant calf can weigh 120Kgs. Healthy adult elephants have no predators. Elephants give out sounds known as trumpet calls. They spend up to 16 hours a day feeding and can consume between 150 and 250Kgs of food every day. They are strictly herbivorous animals. But, they can only digest 40% of what they eat.
The brain of an adult elephant can weigh as much as 5Kgs.The elephants are believed to be extremely intelligent animals and have remarkable memories. At times of drought, the herds travel long distances in search of water and usually succeed because they can remember the water holes visited by them the previous year. An elephant herd is led by the oldest female called the matriarch. The males, once they are grown up, leave the herd and are usually solitary animals. The Asian elephants have been domesticated and have been used for hauling timber and also in temple festivals. It is really heart breaking to see this huge and magnificent animal obeying the command from a puny stick wielding human being.