Did you know …

- Over its life, an elephant goes through six sets of teeth. Once the sixth set wears out, at around 70 years of age, the elephant is no longer able to eat, and so dies of starvation.

- In 1999 scientists discovered the complete remains of a woolly mammoth embedded in ice in Siberia. Using a helicopter, the mammoth was transported to an ice cave for further study.

- In parts of India, Asian elephants have jobs, and once they reach 65 years of age they are allowed to retire.

- The white elephant (also known as the albino elephant), is a very rare type of Asian elephant, and is occasionally seen in parts of Thailand or Burma. It is regarded by some as semi-sacred.

African and Asian elephants are very emotional creatures. Research over the years has shown them to be very loyal and affectionate, willing to risk their lives for the sake of other members of their family. Elephants have been known to express joy at the birth of a young calf, and show grief and sorrow when a family member dies. Elephants can also become very attached to people with whom they have regular contact with, such as zookeepers or circus workers.

 

Elephants are also very intelligent. Have you ever heard the saying ‘An elephant never forgets’? This is because elephants have a very good long term memory. In the wild, young elephants remember where to go to find food and water, and in captivity they are very quick to learn new tricks or tasks. Baby elephants play games such as hide and seek, tug of war, and tag, requiring high levels of intelligence.