Amazing Elephants of Africa

ELEPHANTS have been the subject of religious beliefs. One of the most important Hindu deities, the elephant-headed GANESHA, is ranked equal with the supreme gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. Ganesha is associated with writers and merchants and it is believed that he can give people success as well as grant them their desires.

Here is a collection of my photographs of African elephants at Masai Mara, East Africa.

In many cultures, elephants represent strength, power, wisdom, longevity, stamina, leadership, sociability, nurturance and loyalty.
 



Known for their strong family bonds and intelligence, elephants have fascinated humans across time and cultures. 
 
 
As the largest living land mammal, a male African bush elephant typically stands more than 10 feet tall and weighs an incredible 6.6 tons.
 



TRUNK:
Elephants have more than 100,000 muscles in the trunk making it very flexible and strong enough to lift trees and sensitive enough to pick up objects as small as a coin.

FINGERS:
Asian elephants have one small finger-like projection at the end of the trunk. African elephants have two “fingers”. These “fingers” are very sensitive and make it possible for elephants to pick up very small objects. 


EARS:
African bush elephants live in the hottest climates, and have the largest ear flaps. Elephants are capable of hearing at low frequencies and are most sensitive at 1 kHz.






SKIN:
An Asian elephant after wallowing; the mud may act as a sunscreen. An elephant's skin is generally very tough, at 2.5 cm (1 in) thick on the back and parts of the head. 



COLOR:
Elephants typically have grey skin, but African elephants look brown or reddish after wallowing in colored mud. Normally the skin of an Asian elephant is covered with more hair than its African counterpart.

 
COMMUNICATION:
Touching is an important form of communication among elephants. Individuals greet each other by stroking or wrapping their trunks.

 
MIGRATION :
Elephants are highly social animals that form close bonds and family units. In the wild, family herds follow seasonal migration routes, led by a matriarch with decades of ecological knowledge about droughts, predation and other threats.



Nothing quite compares to watching elephants. It is always fun and interesting to observe the activities of Elephants and their calves.

 
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