Elephants African Ways
African elephants are the largest mammals on terrestrial habitat, it is easy to identify one even from a distance, their huge ears have the shape of Africa, talk about being patriotic. African Elephants represent the Africa community or rather what would have been identified as the African ways before the world became a global village or city and this is purely subjective. They inhabit both the Savannah and Forest habitats the only difference being the Size- the Savannah elephants tend to be bigger than the forest elephants and there is no proof that each cannot survive on either habitat but classifications remains that but they are both highly adaptive especially at the phase of harsh climatic conditions and many other despicable threats that they are facing.
Like humans elephants can either be right handed or left handed in this case the Tuskers are either right- trunked or left-trunked but I haven’t heard of the left being cleverer or more intelligent than their right-tusked which could be a good research project….anyone? Elephants are the cleverest of all, they have the largest brain in the whole of animal kingdom - having a memory that operates better than a GPS wild wise. They just refuse to forget anything at least that’s what I believe. I was once mesmerized by a young elephant in one of Kenya’s Elephant orphanage who at our arrival quickly run to meet and greet his long lost caretaker after 5 years of separation and so many other cases exist but you know babies forget but elephant calves don’t. Their large memory storage is crucial especially because of their wide range they need to remember their way to and from good pastures and waterholes for survival.
Elephants live in large families and they are very hospitable to others lost or otherwise if they sense you will not cause trouble I am not sure how they detect that. Their families are led by the oldest female called the Matriarch and she leads the rest follow and this is how there remains order in the elephant families. The young bulls leave at will and the lazy ones are chased out the herd at the age of 12-15 they form their own bachelor herd and do what bachelors do in any species including humans as they have a thick skin quite literally for the elephants.
They are herbivores, it would be disastrous if otherwise, they have six set of teeth in their lifetime which is almost equals to any average human being. Their tusks are elongated incisors made of Ivory which is why so many are unfairly dead. They communicate through sub-sonic rumbles as our scientist discovered over long distances but they are also the loudest trumpeters I know of it is mind blowing if you are close enough. Despite all the beautiful and scary stories told about elephants they are facing an imminent threat. Since colonial time when it was legal to hunt them up to date when it is illegal in most African countries their slaughter for Ivory continues. It is largely our responsibility to report any illegal poaching activities and support ongoing research and conservation efforts to save elephants. Africa would lose its identity if elephants were to disappear from our habitats. They are the African Iconic species by all means.
