Kjong Safaris Ltd

THE SMART MOBILE AFRICAN BEASTS

African Elephants in Queen Elizabeth NP

Elephants have a very strong memory and are smart mammals in kingdom Animalia in their way of behavior. Their brains weigh about 5 kg (11Ib) and have a highly developed hippo-campus and cerebral cortex responsible for willpower and problem solving. They can remember their friends, family members and even enemies. The  eldest elephant which usually leads the family can remember where water can be got if at all they dug a hole in a particular spot at one point of time. They lead the family to this water spot and also to areas of luscious palatable vegetation. Elephants grieve over the death of their family mate and even do the burying. They do this by scooping dirt using their trunks and tossing it over the dead animal branches are broken off from the tree and laid tenderly over the body until it's completely covered. If they come across already buried elephant, they stop and keep silent for a moment. Greeting friends and relatives is done by rubbing trunks against one another. Elephants don't easily forget their enemies and remember colors very well. 

If you have ever been on an African safari probably a game drive, you must have wondered why the elephants show signs of charging after seeing a particular color of either a tourist van or clothes being put on by the humans near them. It is because they associate that specific color with past events that happened to a member of the family or friend. This could be killing or knocking dead the elephant and therefore revenge has to be taken by drawing nearer to the “perceived " tourist van or humans and then take action. So when the elephants show signs of charging by flapping their ears and stamping the ground, quickly run away with the guidance of the tour guide. 

Elephants mark their territories by urinating or defecating on the desired areas.

Elephants are very huge mammals and therefore require a lot of food to produce sufficient energy for movement. The African bush elephant can weigh up to 6000 kg as compared to an Asian elephant that weights 5400 kg and African forest elephant that weights up to 2700 kg. An elephant eats up to 150-200 kg of vegetation a day. Water is very necessary for digestion and body cooling and the elephant drinks up to 15-20 gallons of water per day. On a hot day, elephants release heat from their bodies by flapping their ears. This increases blood supply around these areas and as a result the body is cooled down. Alternatively if near a water source, elephant’s splash water over their bodies by using their trunks. Elephants have a lifespan of 60 years if not endangered. When in Uganda, you can watch the African elephants at these national parks: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and Semuliki National Park. Come and have a real experience with these magnificent mobile beasts whenever you plan your safari holiday in Africa.