Elephant's protection fund

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19 FACTS ABOUT ELEPHANTS

1. How many elephants are left on earth?

2. Are elephants endangered species?

There is about 600 000 African elephants, and between 30 000 and 50 000 Asian elephants. (Approximately 20% are in captivity) It's difficult to estimate their numbers exactly. The Africans dropped by 50%, from 1.3 millions to 600 000, between 1979 and 1989, because of poaching. About 8 elephants an hour (70 000 year) were poached during this period, until the CITES Ivory ban 1989. The CITES (Washington)Convention of International Trade In Endangered Species) regard both species as so threatened, so they are included in appendix I (the red list)In the Cites conference 1997, populations in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia were downlisted to appendix II. If a population in undisturbed, it grows with only 6%year according to the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) elephant specialist group. Elephants need support, and will need all support in the future

3. If elephants have opposable thumbs, why aren't they considered primates?

When Carl von Linnei made his classification of nature official, it was mainly based on anatomic differences between what he considered species. He was Christian, and believed that all species was created by God. Later, this classification system came to be used by evolutionists, who uses this classification also to try to see how animals are related evolutionarily. Elephants are regarded as "primitive hoof-animals" belonging to a group called Subungulata (elephants, hyraxes, manatees and earthhogs) and forming the order Probosciodea. ("Trunk-animals") The two recent living elephant species are divided into two genus, (Loxodonta and Elephas) both belong to the family Elephantidae. Primates follows a line from small animals called tupajas or tree-shrews, (Scandentia) looking a bit similar to squirrels. The character of thumb, might be similar to bats and birds, that are not related but having wings. When two species is not related but show same anatomic character, this character is related to as convergence, so convergent animals might have developed similarities, but this doesn't mean they are related.

4. How much blood does an elephant have?

The volume of blood in an elephant is: about 9.5% to 10% of body weight.

5. What is the difference between African and Asian elephant ears?

African elephant have African elephants have larger ears, looking like africa, Asian elephants have smaller ears, looking like India.

6. What is the maximum speed at which any elephant can run?

Most records state around 40 km/hour. Since they are walking on "pillars", they can only keep this speed for a very short time.

7. How much do they eat and drink?

Elephants in the wild consumes grass, leaves and such, with a high percentage of water, and may eat up to 300 kgs/day. In captivity they eat about 30 kg hay, 10 kg carrots or similar, and 5-10 kg of bread. Some zoos give a "breakfast" of different grains, about 3-10 kg. Also vitamin's, (especially A and D) minerals, (salt, calcium) and trace elements (such as Selenium) are often added. Depending on the temperature, they drink from 100 to 300 liters/day.

8. Why does the elephants do not have any hair?

Evolutionists believe that present elephant ancestors were semi-amphibious, that they partly spend a lot of time in water. Like most water living animals they are believed to have lost their fur during this period, while they developed a deep layer of fat under their skin as isolation. Some scientists apply this theory also for us Homo sapiens. Elephants, especially the Asian species, still spend a lot of time in water, if it is possible.

9. What is the normal heart rate and respiration of an elephant?

Heart rate, standing 25 - 30 beats/min

Heart rate, lateral 72 - 98 beats/min

Respiratory rate 4 - 6 breaths/min

Body Temperature 36 - 37 C (97.5 - 99 F)

These measurements are without sedatives or immobilizing agents

10. How long time are elephants pregnant?

11. How long time does it take for an elephant to give birth?

Elephants are pregnant about 21 months. In the past, people believed that there was a difference in pregnancy, depending on the sex of the calf, but this has so far not been proved.

Their deliverance may takes about two hours and longer.

12. What time of year do elephants reproduce?

Since elephants gestation period is about 21 months, and may give lactation for at least two years more, before a new estrous, there is no annual cycle. Though a dry season may affect the estrous cycle up to a limit, there?s no obvious indication that elephant synchronize their breeding to a certain season. Normally, they give birth every forth or fifth year. (Suggested literature: Elephant days and nights by Raman Sukumar, and the wild elephants by Iain Douglas Hamilton.)

13. How much does a baby elephant weigh at birth?

They weigh between 75 and 150 kgs, mostly around 100 kgs.

14. Does an elephant ever have more than one baby at one time?

Very rarely, but it happens. At least two cases of twin births in India during the last 20 years are recorded, both in The state of Tamil-Nadu. The only records of twins in Europe was during the forties in Hellabrunn Tierpark, (Munich Zoo) Germany, and in Port Lympne Zoo, England. In America there was recently twin birth at Portland Zoo.

15. Why do elephants sway?

Mostly because they are bored. When they stand still in chains often, they develop this as a bad habit. They also becomes a bit dizzy, and are often in a mood of half sleeping during this movement. It seems, eventually, as if the behavior origins in the fact, that stimulation of the footpads stimulates that reverse backflow of the blood in the feet, through the veins back to the hart. But it is not, as laymen may think think, that the elephants are "crazy". They are as much as crazy as we, when we walk back and forth, waiting for the bus a chilly day. The prevent it, the elephants must be stimulated in some way.

16. How old do they get?

Elephants lifespan is about the same as for humans. In the wild, they normally die at about sixty years, and as with many herbivores, out of starvation. When the last (sixth) supplement of teeth are downused, they simply can?t chew. In captivity they become a bit older, because of softer food. Unfortunately only a few (20-30%) of captive elephants reach this age, the other die before they become adult, (25 years) because of general adjustment problems to new environments, or for physical reasons, such as stomach and hoof problems. The oldest known elephant born in a captivity, was Minjak, born 1932 at Circus Hagenbeck, who died 1986 at Barnum & Bailey/Ringling brothers circus, USA, 54 years old.

17. What is an elephants favorite food?

They love sweets of different sorts, like we do. But they cant survive on sweets. Elephants staple food in captivity is hay or grass. When and if this diet is satisfied, they might turn for different "sweets". Their favorite food are sweet fruits, like bananas and apples, or cabbages, like carrots. Also different bread or biscuits might be very popular. They may in captivity also develop strange tastes, I?ve known elephants that would work a lot to get a piece of materials including tar. Like with humans, the taste for sweets might be very disastrous and negative, if satisfied in too large amounts by people, e.g. "public-feeding" in a zoo. The problems here might be of two types; overweight, as well as developing unnatural behavior, like hanging around the moat the whole day, waiting (very stressed) for visitors, coming with sweets.

18. What predators do they get along with?

They share their habitat with predators such as lion, tiger, leopard, wild dog, and others, depending on where they live. In general, they don't fear these predators very much, since only a few can actually take an elephant as prey. Sometimes elephant babies are taken by lions or wild dogs however. So the elephants always chase those species away, if they come to close.

So they don't get along very much with them, I am afraid, but they tolerate them on distance. Elephants seldom protect their habitat as do predators.

19. What foods do they need in their habitat?

Their food is often related to their special geographical region. Southindian elephants as an example, favorite Ficus plants, (Ficus religiosa) other living in Zimbabwe may prefer something else. Their source of nutrition may also vary, depending on whether it is dry or rain season. In general, one could say, that they eat different varieties of grass, leaves, fruits and skin from trees. Especially the latter, satisfies their need for minerals and trace elements.

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