5 Weird and Wonderful Elephant Facts
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
Every year on 12th August, World Elephant Day is celebrated to raise awareness of these amazing animals, whose lives and habitats are at risk.
There are three species of elephant:
The Asian elephant, found in South and Southeast Asia, is endangered.
The African savanna elephant now inhabits 24 countries in Africa and is classified as
The African forest elephant is critically endangered in the rainforests of West and Central Africa.
The biggest threat to African elephants is poaching. Habitat loss and human-elephant conflict pose significant risks to Asian elephants.
World Elephant Day is important to educate people about these amazing animals. To do our part, here are our favourite elephant facts.
5 Weird and Wonderful Elephant Facts
Elephants can hear through their feet
No, they don’t have ears on their feet! Elephant footpads are specially adapted to be sensitive to pressure and seismic vibrations. Vibrations travelling through the ground are picked up by these receptors and sent to the brain. It helps elephants sense herds farther away, detect approaching predators, and act as an early warning system for thunder and earthquakes. More info
African elephants ears are shaped like the map of the African continent
Take a look for yourself! Each elephant species has differently shaped ears to help adapt to their environments.
African elephants have huge ears that can grow to 2 meters long. Ears help elephants regulate temperature - they are filled with blood vessels that can expand or contract to keep them warm or cool down.
Elephants are not afraid of mice but find bees terrifying
From ancient Greeks and Romans to Disney, ancient tales and pop culture have helped perpetuate the myth that elephants are scared of mice. Studies have shown that elephants don’t exhibit fear towards mice but do display a ‘startle response’ due to poor eyesight.
Honey bees, on the other hand… The buzzing alone is enough to deter elephants; they even have a unique rumble they use to alert others that bees are near. This has been used to de-escalate human/elephant conflict, with beehives used to protect farmers' crops.
Elephants have around 90,000 muscle fascicles in their trunk
While elephants have only 17 muscles in their trunks, they have 90,000 muscle fascicles.
Muscle fascicles are bundles of muscle fibres that are crucial for complex movement and dexterity. It helps them to lift large heavy objects, precisely pick up small objects, communicate, and breathe.
Elephants exhibit self-awareness
Elephants are one of a handful of species that pass the mirror test, a recognition of self-awareness. In 2017, psychologists and elephant experts developed a new test for Asian elephants to determine whether they understood that their bodies could be obstacles to tasks. The elephants showed self-understanding, problem-solving, and perspective-taking.
Elephants are also known to show empathy, compassion, and even perform burial rituals to mourn their dead.
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