elated for the elephants!

for once, i’d want to give a ‘jumbo’ hug to our authorities ('Central Zoo Authority' to be precise!) for finally taking the decision (a couple of weeks back) to end the misery of the chained tuskers in all the circuses and zoos in India, and transport them to national parks/sanctuaries. much credit goes to PETA actually for all their groundwork and persistent efforts. all the animals live in absolutely appalling conditions and treated insensitively in captivity! i genuinely hope that enough care will be taken in helping them to adapt to the new surroundings as they’ll be completely on their own in the wild. i also can’t help but worry about the 4-leggeds for the dangers (read: poaching for ivory!) posed by the 2-leggeds!

i am very very fond of these 'gentle giants' since childhood! they are the most cutest, absolutely adorable creatures on this planet as far as am concerned :) :)

hehe...some fun facts about them ::

• their trunks can get very heavy! it ain't uncommon to see elephants resting them over a tusk!
• they cry, play, have incredible memories, and laugh!
• they are sensitive animals where if a baby complains, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it!
• elephants have greeting ceremonies when a friend that has been away for some time returns to the group!
• they also grieve at a loss of a stillborn baby, a family member, and in many cases other elephants!
• elephants don't drink with their trunks, but use them as "tools" to drink with. This is accomplished by filling the trunk with water and then using it as a hose to pour it into the elephant's mouth!
• interestingly, the Asian elephant is more closely related to the extinct mammoth than to the African elephant!
• as much as 80 percent of what elephants consume is returned to the soil as barely digested highly fertile manure!
• they have a poor hearing, despite having such large ears!
• they spend about 16 hours a day eating!
• elephant is the only mammal that can't jump. It surely have made the Earth shiver if it were able to jump!
• an interesting fact about the tusk, elephants are right and left tusked. the dominant tusk is a little shorter and rounded as against the other tusk!
• they're known to take great care of the bones of their dead family members!
• did you know an adult elephant poops 80 pounds a day???
• it is believed that an elephant can smell water from a distance of three miles!

and now, i can smell my dinner! ;)

k