Elephacts

• Elephants communicate within the herd or between the herds many kilometres apart using sounds too low for human ears to perceive. They stamp their feet and can also communicate via a sub-sonic rumble which can travel over the ground faster than sound through air. The other Elephants receive the messages through sensitive skin on their feet and trunks. 
• Female Elephants live in a herd of about 10 individuals with a matriarchal leader. When the cows produce calves they selectively appoint baby-sitters who will look after their young whilst they eat in order to produce milk.  
• When an Elephant becomes sick the herd brings it food and helps to support it to stand. If the Elephant dies the rest of the herd will try to revive it with food and water. They will dig shallow graves and cover the dead with earth and branches, staying at the grave for days afterwards.
• The average size of the Elephants tusk is decreasing. Elephants with smaller tusks are not poached and live to reproduce more. Does this demonstrate their innate ability to adapt and survive?
• Young Elephants separated from their parents can grow into delinquents. 
• An Elephant has a memory capacity that spans many years and can lead them to watering holes over 10 miles away. 
• Elephants have no natural predators. The main threat to their survival is mankind via poaching for ivory, changes in habitat, decreasing land where they can safely survive and being killed if they encroach on human boundaries.
• Elephants show grief, humour, compassion, co-operation, kinship, loyalty, affection, self awareness, playfulness, excellent learning abilities and the ability to skillfully use tools. 
• At the turn of the 20th century there were a few million Elephants in Africa and a few hundred thousand Elephants in Asia. Recent evidence suggests there are now 450,000-700,000 African Elephants and 35,000-40,000 Asian Elephants. 
• Elephants have a reputation for destroying their habitat. However, man is clearing more forest in one day than all the Elephants in Africa will 'destroy' in one year. 
• Elephants can eat up to roughly 150kg (300-400lbs) of vegetation every day. However, as much as 80% of what Elephants consume is returned to the soil as barely digested, highly fertile manure. 
• Elephants play a vital role in the eco-system they inhabit.
• An Elephants trunk has 40,000 muscles, more than all the muscles in the human body. 
• At 11lbs, the Elephant has the largest brain of any other land animal.  
• Elephants have skills that we don’t have, just as we have skills that they don’t have. Is it time for us to share our skills? A time for collaboration and learning about one another as species who have an equal right to be on the planet?
• It is entirely 100% possible for us to find common ground with Elephants and every living species on the planet if we just take the time to think.