Elephant Facts - Some Facts about Elephants

African Elephants belong to the classification order Proboscidea and the biological family known as Elephantidae. Scientists estimate that there have been around 350 members of the order Proboscidea - so named after the Ancient Greek word Proboskis meaning nose, all but two are now extinct, the survivors are the African and Asian Elephants.

Although Elephants once lived throughout Africa they are now only found over one third of that great continent. They have been hunted for their tusks and by farmers who feel that they destroy their crops.

Between 1979 and 1989 half of the African Elephant population was lost, although they are now protected their habitat is being rapidly eroded.

Despite their vast size, elephants walk quiety, mostly due to their wide, padded feet. Their equally oversized ears are in fact giant cooling mechanisms, an elephant will flap his ears gently, enabling him to keep cool in the African heat.