World Elephant Day – 12th August
World Elephant Day – 12th August
World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the conservation and protection of the world’s elephants.
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species belong tothe family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea are African bush elephant, African forest elephant, and Asian elephant. Extinct relatives of elephants are mammoths and mastodons.
A long proboscis called a trunk, tusks, large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and tough but sensitive 2.5cm thick grey skin are prominent features of elephants.The elongated and prehensile trunk, or proboscis, consists of both the nose and upper lip, which fuse in early fetal development. Breathing, drinking and eating are vital functions of the trunk. Elephants usually have 26 teeth: the incisors, known as the tusks; 12 deciduous premolars; and 12 molars. Unlike most mammals, teeth are not replaced by new ones emerging from the jaws vertically. Instead, new teeth start at the back of the mouth and push out the old ones.The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. African elephants have larger ears, concave backs andboth the male and the female possess tusks whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears, convex or level backs and only males have tusks. Elephants are herbivorous and eat leaves, twigs, fruits, barks, grasses, and roots. African elephants mostly browse, while Asian elephants mainly graze. Elephants can eat as much as 300 kg of food and drink 40 L of water in a day. At midday, elephants rest under trees and may doze off while standing. 3 to 4 hours sleeping occurs at night while the animal is lying down. Both males and family groups typically move average maximum 20 km a day.The herd size ranges from 12-20 individuals or more and it is led by the oldest female, or matriarch.Most males live in bachelor herds.
Elephants are found most often in savannas, grasslands, and forests but occupy a wide range of habitats, including deserts, swamps, and highlands in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.
The Sri Lankan subspecies is the largest and also the darkest of the Asian elephants, with patches of depigmentation, areas with no skin color, on its ears, face, trunk and belly. Today, the Sri Lanka`s elephant is protected under the Sri Lankan law.
The theme for World Elephant Day 2023 is a call to action to end the illegal wildlife trade. We need to work together to save the elephants and to protect these majestic creatures.
– Source: Internet –