Just the Facts: African Elephants
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Elephants are the largest land animals.
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Female elephants are cows. They can be 7-9 feet tall!
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Male elephants are bulls. They can be 9-13 feet tall!
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The biggest bulls can weigh 13,000 pounds.
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An elephant’s tusks are actually long teeth.
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The elephant’s trunk is a long nose. The trunk helps elephant breathe, eat, smell, drink, grasp, fight, and “talk.”
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Elephants eat leaves, buds, twigs, fruit, and grasses.
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They are vegetarians.
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Elephants can live up to 70 years old.
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Baby elephants weigh about 200 pounds when they are born.
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Elephants live in groups of 9-11 animals. These groups are sisters and their children.
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African elephants are very endangered. They are hunted for their ivory tusks. They are killed because they sometimes eat villagers’ crops.
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Many elephants in Africa live in parks where they are protected.
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Scientists from the North Carolina Zoo are studying elephants in Cameroon. They track elephants and stick them with darts. The darts make them go to sleep for a while. The scientists put large satellite collars on the elephants. The collars send signals that tell where the elephants are moving.
Think About…
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How large do you think a collar for an elephant would be? Can you cut a piece of yarn that is long enough to go around an elephant’s neck?
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Why does it help scientists to know where elephant herds are located?
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Could it help people in villages to know where elephant herds are traveling?
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How can people protect elephants from poachers?
