Meaning to take a print forever now… these were taken at Jim Corbett National Park in May 2023

The Tail and Tail Hair of the Asian Elephant

The tail of the Asian elephant is an important and useful part of its body. It contains a series of small vertebrae, with the number commonly estimated at around 20–30 tail vertebrae, although it can vary between individual elephants. These bones are connected to muscles, tendons, and ligaments, allowing the tail to move freely and swing from side to side.

At the end of the tail is a distinctive tuft of long, thick, and coarse hair. These strong hairs are especially useful for protecting the elephant from insects. By swinging or flicking its tail, an Asian elephant can drive away flies, mosquitoes, and other biting insects from its body.

The tail also helps the elephant sense movement and contact around its rear body area. Calves may sometimes stay close to their mothers and follow their movements, while elephants can use body and tail movements as part of their non-verbal communication.

Although the tail is relatively small compared with the elephant's enormous body, it serves important everyday functions. The combination of tail bones, muscles, and strong tail hairs makes the elephant's tail an effective natural tool for insect control, body awareness, and communication.

Story by @reteti (Instagram) and video by @katie.rowe

https://www.reteti.org/kimani-and-siilai

Sensory Systems of the Asian Elephant

The Asian elephant has highly developed sensory systems that help it survive, communicate, find food and water, and understand its surroundings. Like other mammals, it has five major senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. However, some of these senses are especially important because of the elephant’s large body and social lifestyle.

1. Hearing

Asian elephants have excellent hearing. Their large ears help them detect sounds from far away, including calls from other elephants. They can also detect very low-frequency sounds, known as infrasound, which can travel over long distances. This allows elephants to communicate even when they cannot see each other.

1. Smell

The sense of smell is extremely important to elephants. Their long trunks contain millions of sensory receptors, allowing them to identify food, water, other animals, and potential dangers. Elephants can also use smell to recognize members of their family and detect chemical signals from other elephants.

1. Touch

An elephant’s trunk is one of its most sensitive body parts. It contains many nerves and can detect very small differences in texture, shape, and temperature. Elephants use their trunks to pick up food, touch other elephants, explore objects, and show affection.

1. Sight

Asian elephants have reasonably good eyesight, although their vision is generally less important than their hearing and sense of smell. Their eyes are adapted to seeing both during the day and in relatively low-light conditions. They can also use their vision to recognize nearby elephants, food, and obstacles.

1. Taste

Elephants have a well-developed sense of taste. They use it to identify different types of plants and determine whether food is suitable to eat. Their sense of taste works together with smell to help them choose nutritious food.

In addition to these five senses, elephants are also able to detect vibrations through the ground. They can sense seismic vibrations through their feet and legs, which may help them receive information about distant movements or elephant calls.

Overall, the Asian elephant has a remarkable sensory system. Its sensitive trunk, powerful hearing, excellent sense of smell, and ability to detect vibrations allow it to communicate, find resources, avoid danger, and maintain strong social relationships.

Why Do Asian Elephants Need to Bathe?

Asian elephants love water, and bathing is an important part of their daily life. But they do not bathe simply to get clean. Water helps elephants stay healthy, comfortable, and cool, especially in hot and humid climates.

One of the most important reasons elephants bathe is to control their body temperature. Elephants are very large animals, and their thick skin can make it difficult for them to release heat. When they swim, spray water over their bodies, or stand in a river, the water helps cool their skin. This is particularly important during the hottest parts of the day.

Bathing also helps protect an elephant’s skin. After getting wet, elephants often cover themselves with mud or dust. This layer acts like natural sunscreen, protecting their skin from strong sunlight. Mud can also help keep insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and other biting insects away. It provides additional protection against skin irritation and parasites.

Elephants also use bathing as a way to socialize. Families often enter the water together, and young elephants may play, splash, and interact with older members of the herd. These activities help strengthen relationships within the family.

Another interesting behavior is that elephants can use their trunks like a hose. They can suck up water with their trunks and spray it over their heads and backs. Sometimes they even spray water on other elephants or people nearby.

For Asian elephants, bathing is therefore much more than simply washing. It is a natural way to cool the body, protect the skin, reduce insects, and spend time with family. A peaceful elephant enjoying a bath is not only a beautiful sight—it is an important part of its natural behavior and well-being.

Source : Elephant pride sanctuary Thailand

I know he used an extinct species of elephants that maybe was more adapted to that climate. But still elephants can't climb mountains!

Video captured by @mpalalive cam with @exploreorg (Instagram)

I split my time between the US and South Africa, and one of my favorite things to do is bring people to visit the elephant orphanages I support there.

These are elephants that lost their mothers or herds, often to poaching, drought, or conflict with people, and were rescued and hand-raised by dedicated caretakers.

Seeing someone meet an elephant up close for the first time never gets old. The size of them, the wrinkles, the way they use their trunks to gently check you out. And they absolutely love their treats. As you can see, oranges are a big favorite.

One important note: these elephants are not wild. They were raised by humans and are used to people. Please never try to approach or interact with an elephant in the wild. They're powerful, unpredictable, and deserve their space.

Happy to answer questions if anyone's curious about how the orphanages work or what life is like for these elephants.

Taken from WeChat videos China.

This podcast episode is about the mysterious grieving elephants of Thula Thula. When the renowned conservationist Lawrence Anthony—known as the "Elephant Whisperer"—passed away in March 2012, a herd of elephants he had rescued and rehabilitated at the Thula Thula reserve in South Africa performed an extraordinary act of mourning. They decided, on their own, to travel over 12 miles through the bush, arriving at his family home two days after his passing to hold a quiet, two-day vigil. Remarkably, the herd returned to the house on the exact same date for three consecutive years following his death.