Today is WORLD ELEPHANT DAY! Let's celebrate land’s largest mammals and help protect their future.
Elephants — with their enormous stature, huge ears and fascinating trunks — capture our hearts like no other creature. But elephants are much more than mere gentle giants. They are very intelligent, with memories rivaling those of humans, are excellent mothers, and play an important role in savanna ecosystems.
Physically, elephants are quite unusual. They can live up to 60 to 70 years and have gestation periods up to an impressive 22 months. Their prehensile trunks can hold eight liters of water and be used as a snorkel when the elephant is underwater. Amazingly, their long tusks are actually teeth — teeth that some elephants use to mine and eat salt.
Mentally, elephants are just as robust. Their temporal lobes, the part of the brain that processes memory, are larger and denser than it is in humans. This is where the phrase “elephants never forget” comes from. Elephants also have a complex communication system including trumpets, scent, touch, body language and even seismic signals that pass as vibrations through the ground to the bones of other elephants.
Sadly, these fascinating creatures are ENDANGERED, facing the threats of poaching, loss of territory, and habitat changes caused due to global warming. If elephants hold a special place in your heart, take a moment to help keep them healthy and safe for generations to come. Donate today and celebrate WORLD ELEPHANT DAY in the best way possible.
