All About Elephants
The Zoo ' s African elephant Mikki and Asian elephant Punch are two of the Zoo ' s most popular animal ambassadors ! Sadly , their wild cousins have a conservation status of vulnerable and endangered because of habitat loss and poaching for ivory .
How can you help elephants ?
• Support conservation efforts and organizations like 96elephants , a conservation program created by Wildlife Conservation Society .
• Hold a fundraiser at school and donate the money toward elephant conservation .
• Ask your parents to sign online petitions and support efforts to ban the sale of ivory .
A SAFE Species
Asian Elephants are also part of the SAFE program . AZA-accredited zoos , aquariums and their global wildlife partners are working to help protect this precious species from extinction .
How are Asian and African elephants similar and different ?
Asian Elephant
• Slightly smaller than African cousin
• Smaller , rounded ears
• Only some male elephants have tusks . Some elephants ( female and male ) may have tushes : long teeth hidden by their upper lips
• Heads are shaped like twin domes with a small indent in the middle
African Elephant
• Largest land animal
• Larger ears that look somewhat like the continent of Africa
• All elephants have tusks which they use to dig for food , water , and strip bark from trees
• More heavily ringed trunk African and Asian Elephants
• Ears used for hearing and for regulating body heat
• Fanning ears helps them to cool down by allowing heat to escape through the blood vessels in the ears
• Sleep only a few hours , either standing or lying down
• Skin is conditioned by wallowing in water , mud and dust baths