Elephants must surely rank as one of Nature’s most fascinating creatures. As this footage shows, they are much more agile and intelligent than you might think.
Jonathan Couzens submitted this unusual video to Latest Sightings. He filmed it on the H4-1 road while visiting South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
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Beyond reach
Jonathan’s video begins with a view of a male elephant. Standing at the foot of a tall tree, the bull has its trunk extended upwards.
What is immediately obvious is that, despite his impressive size, he can’t reach the leaves above his head while standing on all fours. Elephant bulls can grow up to 3.36 m (11 ft) tall and weigh up to 6.8 tons.
Can’t jump
As you’d imagine, due to their massive bulk, elephants are not the most nimble creatures. In fact, they are one of the few mammals incapable of jumping.
So, when the food they’re after is out of reach, they have to make another plan. Consequently, Jonathan and his companions got a surprise when the elephant rose up on its hind legs.
By doing so, the bull was just able to reach the tender shoots that had been so tantalizingly out of reach. Then, wrapping the dextrous tip of his trunk around them, he plucked off a mouthful.
Massive mouth
As the bull’s front feet come back to Earth, we get a glimpse inside his massive mouth. Within, there are four active molars: two on the upper and lower jaw, respectively.
Throughout the course of their lives, elephants may go through up to six sets of molars. As the old set wears down, a new set that has been forming moves forward in the jaw to replace it. The only other teeth they have are tusks, uniquely evolved structures that serve as both tools and weapons.
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Method in the madness
Now, you might wonder why the elephant would go to all that effort when other, more accessible food is visible. The most likely explanation is that it knows the leaves at the end of the branch are most nutritious.
While this acrobatic behaviour is uncommon, elephants will routinely push down entire trees to get to the tender leaves in the crown. These leaves are the softest, with the highest protein concentrations and the lowest levels of fibrous compounds, which wear down their teeth fastest.
Inefficient digestion
As the elephant puts the leaves in its mouth, they are roughly ground by the molars before swallowing. Unlike some herbivores that ruminate (chew the cud), elephants have a very inefficient digestive system, where food is broken down by fermentation in the hind gut.
This means that only 20-40% is properly digested and absorbed. Accordingly, it makes sense to target the most nutritious foods whenever possible, even if it means clowning around for the tourists.