The elephant trunk serves many purposes and one of them is drinking. Welcome to the home of elephants enthusiasts! We aim to publish insightful and interesting facts about elephants and how to see them in their natural habitat. Read our about us page to understand our mission and who's contributing to this website. Olivia Garcia is originally from Texas.

After bathing, they use their trunks to dust themselves with dirt and mud to protect their skin from sun exposure. African elephants aren’t only the largest land mammals in the world, they also have the longest gestation period of any land animal—22 months! A newborn elephant can weigh up to 260 pounds, and this extra development time is thought to increase their ability to survive on their own from a young age. Since the turn of the century, Sri Lankan elephant populations have fallen by almost 65 percent thanks to an increase in deforestation on the island. Currently, the elephants are protected under Sri Lankan law, where killing one results in steep penalties. The video shows multiple navy officials swimming from a ship in scuba gear with ropes, which they tied around the elephant.

Their swimming style is quite interesting as well. Shortly after moving to Udhagamandalam in southern India I learned that elephants were brought to the Andaman archipelago for logging. Male elephants were put on some islands and females on other islands. When the males went into musth, pulled by nature’s call, they would swim to the islands with the female elephants. In India the elephants keepers are known as mahouts.

Elephants are native to Asian forests and African savannas, where temperatures can reach extremes. Water is essential to the survival of these species. These creatures can perish quickly if they do not have access to water throughout the summer. In fact, they had no choice but to leap into the water to cool down their bodies during intense heat. Under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Asian elephants are classified as endangered and have faced significant threats from logging and loss of habitat. Some elephants have even found fame as swimmers.

On the day I took this photo, I was with him on one of his longer swims and I used a weight belt to freedive down to get the angle I wanted. He’d totally immerse himself and use his trunk like a snorkel, which was so cool. Every morning, Rajan would go into the jungle or walk down to the beach. He went swimming whenever he felt like it. He seemed to have adapted to swimming in salt water and even to enjoy it.

If you run, the elephant will be more likely to chase you. The sea faring elephants of the Andamans and Sri Lanka are very well known. Legends like the elephant named Rajan, of the Andamans, was featured in a Hollywood movie too. However, I had not been lucky enough to see one actually swim, until this March, in Kaziranga, when I was a first hand witness to that. He felt so comfortable with Nazroo and didn’t want to be far from him.

Elephants can sleep standing up and only need a couple of hours of sleep each day. When on the move, a heard of elephants often walk in single file. Elephants are the largest living land animals on earth. Elephants are known for their trunks, which are actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for picking up things, like a meal. 3D Illustration of a elephant is surfing the sea as a symbol of...

True or False, the elephant’s trunk is part of its leg. Every now and then he would surface and throw out a jet of water. The trunk was like a snorkel, sticking out of the water, taking in the air to help him breathe. He was spurting out water through his trunk every now and then like a fountain. I’ve had incredible experiences as a photographer. I think it’s important to share those experiences to encourage and inspire people to get out of their comfort zone and have their own adventures.

“The sensorineural specializations of the trunk tip of the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus.”, via the ICUN red list. Due to this, the African elephant is able to pick up objects delicately, while the Asian elephant can only scoop up objects by elephant swimming in water using its entire trunk. A litter for the average elephant family consists of one calf. Although twins are born, it is rare. The newborn calf will weigh between 200 and 250 pounds .