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Shirley and Jenny met in the last place you'd want to be an elephant - the Carson and Barnes Circus. But 23 years of separation was unable to destroy the deep bond that the two had formed.
Watch their story on PETA TV.
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You knew that elephants were excellent, but did you also know …
- Elephant's feet are sensitive, with padded soles that allow them to move silently through the bush. They walk on tiptoe, their steps cushioned by a large pad of fat between their foot bones and the soles of their feet.
- An adult African elephant weighs about the same as three to six cars.
- Elephants are not afraid of mice.
- Elephants can move up to 25 mph, but they can't jump.
- Elephants are very good swimmers.
- An elephant's skin is so sensitive that elephants can feel flies land on their backs.
- At the tips of their trunks, elephants have "fingers" to help them feel and probe: Asian elephants have one; African elephants have two.
- An elephant's brain weighs about 12 pounds.
- Elephants have six sets of teeth that move forward one set at a time, from the back jaw.
- Elephants live in grasslands and jungles.
- Elephants are on the move - feeding, grazing, and foraging - for 16 to 18 hours a day.
- It takes baby elephants four to six months to learn to use their trunk.
In their homelands, these highly social animals forage for food, raise their babies, go for long walks, bathe in watering holes, and play together. They form strong bonds and mourn the loss of a loved one. Click here to see a slide show of these incredible animals.
In the circus, elephants are separated from their families and forced to perform ridiculous, frightening, sometimes dangerous tricks under the constant threat of punishment from bullhooks that are jabbed into the sensitive skin on their faces, feet, and knees. When elephants are not performing, which is most of the time, they are chained by the legs or kept in boxcars.
The best way to show your appreciation and respect for elephants - the largest land mammals of our time - is to boycott circuses that use elephants and other animals. To find out other ways you can help elephants, contact PETA's Education Department to request a free "Amazing Elephants" packet that includes a comic book, a coloring book, a short lesson plan, and a children's reading list of books on elephants. To obtain the lesson plan and reading list online, visit TeachKind.org.
Remember, Elephant Appreciation Day is officially on September 22, but we should all show our appreciation for elephants every day of the year!
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