This is reply my friend got back last night at 10PMish from Sharon at Philly
zoo. XXXXXX had told her she was visiting zoo with her family and they had
wondered what happened to the 4th elephant.
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for contacting the docents at the Philadelphia Zoo regarding one
of our elephants that was not outside in the yard with the other elephants
when you visited last weekend.
Recent information we received about our Asian elephant is that she recently
had a slight altercation with some of her herd mates. Apparently the
younger pair is challenging her position of authority (she was getting along
especially well with one of them) and a scuffle ensued, in which she
received some minor wounds. We were told that the wounds are not serious.
This incident is similar to social interactions among elephants that might
happen in the wild. If our Asian elephant hasn't already joined her herd
mates in the outdoor exhibit, I am sure she will do so soon.
Since you seem to have an interest in elephants, I thought you might find
the following facts about elephants interesting.
GENERAL
Elephants are the largest of all land animals.
While elephants may look very dull, their intelligence is ranked among the
highest in the animal world. The very large skull of an elephant contains
the largest brain of any land animal.
Many keepers consider elephants the most dangerous animals in the zoo. The
mood of an elephant can change like the wind from one moment to the next.
Anyone who works with elephants learns to keep an eye on them at all times.
TRUNK
The prehensile trunk is actually a modified nose and upper lip.
There are 40,000 muscles in the trunk, making it strong, very flexible and
sensitive. It also allows an elephant to control his trunk with great
skill.
The trunk is:
-- Used like an arm to pick up a single blade of grass as well as to uproot
trees.
-- Used like a big spoon or ladle for conveying liquids.
-- Used for snorkeling: elephants are wonderful swimmers despite their
great weight, and often swim for hours and long distances almost totally
submerged, with only the trunk above water.
-- Used for "shaking hands": putting their trunk tips in each other's
mouths, perhaps picking up telltale tastes and smells.
-- Used as "shower spouts" to clean and cool themselves.
-- Used to "arm wrestle" an opponent, throwing him off balance.
-- Used to magnify their many sounds that express different emotions:
screams, trumpets, grunts, rumbles, purrs.
-- Not used as a straw with which to drink.
TUSKS
Tusks are elongated incisors that grow throughout life.
Elephants use their tusks to search for food. They plow up ground to find
roots, pry apart branches to get at the soft cores. When water is scarce,
they drill down into dry riverbeds.
Heaviest pair weighed 440 lbs., 8 oz. Longest tusk ever taken is 11 1/2'
long.
EARS
The large ears serve as air conditioners and are needed to help cool off the
huge animal on hot days, especially the African elephant who lives in warm
climates with little shade. By flapping its ears, the elephant brings cool
air into contact with the many blood vessels in the ears, thereby cooling
the blood.
Each ear of an African elephant weighs about 110 lbs. (more than a slim
adult woman.
SKIN
Each elephant carries a unique set of "fingerprints": the pattern of skin
creases in the lower leg joint just above the foot differs with each
individual.
Although the elephant's skin is very thick, it is also very sensitive,
requiring constant care. Elephants love water and often bathe 3-4 times
daily to cool off and keep their skin in good condition. Elephants also
spray dust on themselves or cover themselves with mud from head to toe to
keep bugs from biting.
FEET
Despite their great weight, elephants walk on their toes. Much of their
weight is supported by thick elastic pads in the foot that make the elephant
very sure-footed and permit it to walk very quietly when desired.
LOCOMOTION
Because elephants are so big and heavy, they are very careful when they
move: as a rule, they will not cross a ditch (moat) that is more that 5'-6'
wide. This makes it possible to design zoo elephant enclosures with moats
rather than with bars or fences.
Walking leisurely, elephants can cover 2-4 mph.. Running in a dead heat,
elephants can beat even the fastest human sprinter, reaching a blistering 24
mph, or 1 mile every 2 1/2 minutes.
TEETH AND FEEDING
Elephants need the 6 sets of teeth they get in a lifetime because their food
is very coarse. The last set is worn down by 50-60 (African) or 70-80
(Asian) years of age when elephants can no longer chew their food and
eventually starve & die.
Elephants in the wild can eat 300+ lbs. of food per day, digesting only 40%
with 60% leaving the body undigested, deposited in impressive amounts of
manure 10-30 times per day.
BODY LANGUAGE
-- The head, ears and trunk are the most visually expressive organs:
-- The higher the head, the more excited the elephant
-- The wider the ears spread, the more aggressive the elephant
-- The trunk out in front signals confidence
-- The trunk when periscoped into a tea spout position sniffs out danger
-- The trunk curled around the body shows hesitancy or fear (Unless simply
tucked away during a serious charge)
COMMUNAL SLEEPING
When an elephant group decides to sleep, they all flop down one after
another. If one shifts its weight in sleep, the rest follow such tossing
and turning down the line until all are peaceful again.
MATRIARCHAL SOCIETY
Elephants are extremely gregarious; herds normally number 15-20 members in
size.
The basic unit of society is the cow-calf group of 10-24 individuals, made
up of the matriarch or leader (usually the oldest cow), her adult daughters
and their immature offspring of both sexes. This can sometimes be extended
to include matriarch sisters, cousins and their offspring.
Bulls leave their natal group at maturity (12-20 years). Lone bulls often
pal around with other bulls, forming loose bachelor herds whose members
change from day to day. The only time a bull is found with a family group
is when the female is in heat or by chance if near a group feeding or
migrating.
PARENTING
A young calf uses its mouth, not its trunk, to nurse.
Mother elephants take very good care of their young. In fact, all the cows
in an elephant family group join together to help care for the calves.
For the first 6 months, the mother follows her calf never letting it out of
her sight. After that, the calf follows its mother, staying in touch with a
continual volley of low frequency contact calls.
The calf has its mother to itself for approximately 4 years before the
female gives birth again and begins to wean the older baby. The calf still
remains an additional 8-10 years with its mother learning the location of
good food and water sources, mud wallows, shade trees and migration routes.
Immature females help the mother look after, teach and protect calves. This
"all-mothering" builds long-term relationships and enhances the stability of
the group.
CONSERVATION
Killed for their ivory.
Habitat endangered by growing human population.
THREE BASIC KINDS OF ELEPHANTS
There is now general agreement that there are three basic kinds of
elephants. These are:
1. African bush elephant Loxodonta africana
africana
2. African forest elephant Loxodonta africana
cyclotis
3. Asian elephant Elephas maximus
Thank you for visiting the Philadelphia Zoo on-line and for Asking a Docent.
Sharon S
Docent
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo, is dedicated to its mission of
conservation, science, education and recreation. The Zoo's core purpose is
to advance discovery, understanding and stewardship of the natural world
through compelling exhibition and interpretation of living animals and
plants.
