The Friendly Giants – Elephants

Elephants…the name makes us imagine magnificent creatures that are private, sensitive, gentle and herd – like friendly giants. Being the largest mammals of the continents, they are able to supply water from one riverbed to another by digging holes in dry riverbeds. They do this by using their trunk. Their large bodies are able to retain water when the dry seasons come. Elephants can adjust to habitats such as savannah, grasslands and woodlands.

Facts About Elephants

Elephants | (c) Photo By Elephant Facts

Life-Cycle Of A Baby Elephant

The life-cycle of baby elephant is very captivating and fascinating to see. Once a baby elephant is born, the mother attempts to help the new born to its feet. This is done as a matter of survival so the new born can stand to drink its mother’s milk. They consume about 11.4 liters of its mother’s milk per day. New born baby elephants weigh between 77 to 113 kilograms. Baby elephants are not given attention by only its mother but by other females in the herd as well.

Elephant Polo?

Some of you may not be aware about a game surrounding elephants, called ‘Elephant Polo‘. The modern game originated in Nepal, and the Elephant Polo headquarters still remains in Nepal. The equipment that is used to play elephant polo is a standard polo ball and six to nine foot cane (bamboo) sticks. Due to the slower speed of elephants, two people ride each elephant and the elephants are steered by mahouts (chains or a sharp metal hook) that are placed around areas like the mouth or inner ear, where the elephant is most sensitive. There is a World Elephant Polo Championships as well. The most recent elephant polo champions was held in England in December 2008. This game is also played in Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Help Save The Elephants

If you are interested in saving the elephants, the best place to visit is Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka secures a future for elephants and sustains the environment of the places these beautiful giants live. To help elephants, there is an elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka called the ‘Pinnawela Elephants Orphanage‘. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Department. This orphanage is not only a safe haven for elephants but also a breeding place. This orphanage is known to have the greatest herd of elephant captivity in the world.

PAWS (Performing Animal Welfare Society) is another wonderful place, if you wish to help elephants. You can adopt an elephant through PAWS and become an ‘adoptive parent‘ to an elephant. You can also give PAWS adoption as a gift to an animal lover that you know of. By adopting an elephant, you will be able to help by providing nutritious food, giving veterinarian care and an enriching habitat for an elephant.

If you love elephants as much as I do, help spread the word by sharing this post with your friends and family.