Are elephants really “thick skinned”? The expression of elephants being pachyderms is correct only in part. On vulnerable spots like the trunk embouchure, legs and back, skin can in fact be 2.5 to 3 ...
Musth of the elephant bulls
What does the word “musth” mean? An essential part of the problems of the keeping of elephant bulls is the so-called musth. Musth is a word of Persian origin and is translated in the ...
Ankus, Elephant Hook and Whip
What is an elephant hook? The ankus or elephant hook, in the colloquial language of the elephant keepers briefly named hooks, is an very old aid in handling elephants by humans in a direct ...
Differences between African and Asian Elephant
How do different types of elephants differ? The difference between the African and the Asian elephants, looking closer, is remarkable . Actually they resemble each other only from a distance by their outward appearance. ...
Death in the elephant stable
How old can elephants grow? The life expectancy of an elephant is between 0 and 50 up to 60 years. In spite of this high life expectancy, only a few elephants do actually reach ...
Communication between the elephants
How do elephants communicate? Since elephants are not “loners”, but live in a herds, they need several possibilities of communicating with each other. The trunk, the ears, the tail, body language and naturally also ...
The commands for the elephants
How many commands does a zoo elephant know? In his daily contact with the elephants, an elephant keeper uses about 16 different commands. By means of these commands, he communicates verbally with the elephants. ...
Ankus, Elephant hook and wipe
What is an elephant hook? The ankus or elephant hook, in the colloquial language of the elephant keepers briefly named hooks, is an very old aid in handling elephants by humans in a direct ...
African elephants
Are there different elephant species? The African elephant can be divided into 2 subspecies: Steppe elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) The steppe elephant settles in different habitats from the open grass country to wooded regions including ...