Facts About Elephants (& Why You Should Volunteer with Them)

1.

Elephants are the largest land animals on the planet with some weighing over 20,000 pounds. The largest elephant ever recorded was in Angola, Africa in 1956 - it weighed over 24,000 pounds!

2.

Some animals have a short life span but elephants regulararly live to over 50 years of age. Some even live longer than 70 years.

3.

There are three species of elephant alive on the planet today which include the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. Unfortunately other species have gone extinct.

4.

Elephants are highly intelligent creatures and have the largest brain in the animal kingdom.

Volunteering in Zambia – Species Conservation

• Zambia
• 3 weeks - 3 weeks / From: € 2500

Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand

• Chiang Mai
• 1 week - 3 months / From: £ 1500

Volunteer at a Elephant Sanctuary in Northern Thailand

• Thailand
• 1 week - 3 months / From: £ 250

5.

It might surprise you to learn that elephants can't jump but they are very good swimmers as they use their trunk like a snorkel.

6.

If you have ever stroked an elephant you might have noticed how strong their skin is, well for good reason the skin is an inch thick

7. 

Elephants have a fantastic sensitive nose and have an amazing sense of smell and they use their trunks in the air to smell better.

8.

An elephant pregnancy lasts almost 2 year (around 22 months) from conception to actually giving birth.

The Elephant Freedom Project in Sri Lanka

• Between Colombo and Kandy
• < 1 week - 2 weeks / From: $ 100

Volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand

• Thailand
• 1 week - 3 months / From: £ 750

Botswana & Zimbabwe Safari

• Multiple Destinations
• 1 week - 2 weeks / From: £ 3000+

9.

Elephants are very social animals and are usually found living in herds with other elephants.

10.

The average elephant trunk has over 40,000 muscles in it.

11.

Elephants are very affection and use their trunks to hug other elephants. They also purr (similar to cats) as a way communication, can laugh and cry.

12.

Elephants have amazing hearing abilities even better than humans. They can also use their feet to pick up vibrations from nearby people, animals or movements.

Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Volunteering

• Sri Lanka
• 1 week - 4 weeks / From: € 1250

Train to be a game ranger in South Africa

• South Africa
• 2 months - 2 months / From: £ 2500

Veterinary experience programme in South Africa

• South Africa
• 2 weeks - 4 weeks / From: £ 1000

13.

You have probably noticed that elephants have huge ears. These are made up of blood vessels which help to circulate blood through their bodies and keep them cool in warm climates.

14.

Elephants use their trunks to smell, find food, lift objects and also drink water.

15. 

On a daily basis elephants can spend around 16 hours a day eating plants and vegatation.

16.

Although elephants weigh a ton, they can move almost silently due to their soft padded feet.

Volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand

• Thailand
• 1 week - 3 months / From: £ 750

Volunteer with elephants in Laos

• Laos
• 1 week - 2 weeks / From: £ 750

Wildlife conservation volunteering in Borneo

• Borneo
• 1 week - 2 weeks / From: £ 1250

17.

Elephants are unfortunately facing an uncertain future in the wild due to wildlife poaching and habitat loss.

18.

Elephants are amazing, if you don't have the time to volunteer abroad with them you there are lots of organisations and charities you can make donations to help them.

If you would like to play a role in helping check out our volunteer programs with elephants.

Related Pages

• Best elephant sanctuaries to visit in Thailand
• Volunteer with animals abroad
• Volunteer in Africa
• Volunteer in Asia