A LOWDOWN ON THE GENTLE GIANT.

[Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle dated 21st October, 2008 (Tuesday)].
Elephants are extraordinary creatures. They have been present in our mythology (Ganesha) and in our forests for as long as most of us can remember. No wonder then, that scientific research on elephants is so vast. What we know about elephants can actually fill an entire book! For instance, we know that elephants live until ripe old ages. They are highly social animals and the size and durability of their social network is a phenomenon that is rare in the animal kingdom.
Behavioural Patterns: The brain of an elephant is a phenomenon in itself. At nearly five kilos, it is the largest among both living and extinct terrestrial mammals, which means that its capacity for data storage is equally huge - nearly three times larger than that of the human brain. Their ability to remember is also amazing, as they are able to retain the scents and voices of individuals and places for not just days or months, but entire decades! In fact, the behaviour of elephants both in the wild and in captivity suggests that elephants are able to use their long term memories to extract revenge for previously inflicted wrongs. An elephant also possesses the ability to discriminate between predators, be they animals or humans, and also between the bones of elephants and those of other animals. 
Experiments conducted on elephants also prove their ability to recognise themselves in a mirror showing that they are immensely aware of themselves! All these traits however leave elephants with one great vulnerability - they are susceptible to great stress and trauma, much like humans. Elephants are also known for their wide range of vocal sounds, most of which are pitched at frequencies that are beyond the range of the human ear. These calls are used to communicate with other elephants over long distances.
Talent for communication: Not only this, but they can also detect the vocalisations of their companions seismically. This happens when an exact replica of an elephant's vocal response moves via the earth and is picked up by the elephant's sensitive feet. Using this technique , elephants can also detect earthquakes and thunderstorms. Researchers have found that these intelligent beasts use more than 70 kinds of vocal sounds and 160 different visual and tactile signals, expressions, and gestures in their day-to-day interactions. Using their trunks, elephants can discriminate between smells with astonishing ease, even more than that of a bloodhound! 
With all these astonishing characteristics, it's no wonder that the elephant plays such a pivotal role in the animal kingdom. But with poaching and human expansion on the rise, the elephant and its habitat are in grave danger. It's up to us to protect this gentle giant of the wild.
--Challapalli Srinivas Chakravarthy--
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