The elephant is the largest animal in the world. Their main feature is a long nose-trunk, with which the herbivorous giant can pick fruits, pick leaves from tall trees and collect water, and also make a loud trumpet sound.
Wild elephants feed on plant foods, namely fruits and leaves, tree bark, grass. Captive elephants do not give up on candy, cookies and bread. These large animals need a lot of water to maintain a normal hydrobalance in their bodies. During the day, the elephant drinks up to 300 liters of water and eats about 300 kg of food.
A distinctive feature of elephants is their long trunk. The distant ancestors of elephants lived in swamps and the trunk, then very small, allowed them to breathe under water. After millions of years of evolution, elephants emerged from the swamps and increased in size, the trunk lengthened as a result of adaptation to life.
The trunk is a sensitive organ with grasping reflexes, consisting of many muscles. There are about 40,000 of them, which makes this long branch very strong and flexible. The trunk performs a large number of functions, being to an elephant what hands, nose, lips and tongue are to humans.
With its trunk, the elephant picks leaves and fruits from trees and bushes, gathers grass under its feet, draws water from a reservoir, puts food and pours water into its mouth, watering itself during the heat, feeling objects, emitting a characteristic trumpet sound and using it as protection. In addition, baby elephants hold on to the tail of the elephant walking in front with their proboscis.
Collecting food, the elephant probes and sniffs it with the help of its trunk and only then picks it off and sends it into its mouth. The giant loves sweet food and chooses sweet fruits such as bananas. In captivity, he does not refuse apples, carrots and sweets. There is a misconception that the elephant drinks with the trunk, in fact, he just draws water, and then directs it into his mouth.
During extreme heat or a long absence of rain, African elephants refresh themselves with water from reservoirs, throwing their trunk back over their heads and pouring water on their backs. When an elephant makes a trumpet sound, it travels for several kilometers. This way the elephants let each other know where they are.
The elephant uses its trunk to protect itself and its young from predators. With one blow, he can kill the enemy or break his bones.
There is an unofficial holiday, Elephant Day, which is celebrated around the world on November 30th. Sometimes called "Elephantine", various events dedicated to elephants are held on this day. In addition, World Elephant Day is celebrated on September 22nd, on which animal advocates try to get people involved in the extinction of this species.
In Thailand, the Elephant is a sacred animal, which is why the Elephant Festival is celebrated throughout the country. Buddhist ceremonies are held and a festive meal is provided to elephants. On this day, many foreign tourists flock to the country, which significantly affects the improvement of the economy.
