Elephant: biggest animal

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Elephants are the largest land animals in the world. With a weight of up to 6 tons, the African elephant is the largest, while the smaller Asian elephant can weigh up to 5 tons.

Their trunk, an extension of their upper lip and nose, is used to communicate and catch various objects, beyond allowing them to drink and eat.

The other notable feature of elephants is their large ears which, in addition to their auditory function, cool the body.

As for the defenses, large modified incisors developing throughout the life of the elephant, they are used to fight, dig, feed or find their bearings. Alas, these attract the lust of poachers to fuel an insatiable appetite for ivory causing the death of 20,000 to 30,000 elephants each year ...

Elephant populations dropped dramatically in the 19th and 20th centuries. On the African continent, the species currently has about 415 000 individuals (against 3 to 5 million at the beginning of the 20th century).

As for the Asian elephant, it is on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, having declined by at least 50% in the last three generations. Today, there would be less than 50,000 left in the wild.

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