Size of an Elephant

Elephants are the largest land animal in the world.

The Asian elephant is smaller than the African elephant. African elephants
can be a metre taller than Asian elephants. Elephants can live for up to 70
years. This makes them one of the longest living land animals in the world.
 National Animal of Thailand
Elephants are a very important part of Thai life. The elephant is the national
animal of Thailand.

In the Thai language, an elephant is called ‘Chang’.

 Endangered Elephants
Over 100 years ago, you could find more than 100 000 elephants in Thailand,
but today there are only around 3500.

This fall in numbers has made

the Thai elephant an
endangered species. Many
conservation organisations are
fighting to protect these
creatures.
 Fighting Elephants
Once, the Thai elephants were used in great battles all over south-east Asia.
Kings would ride on the elephants to defend Thailand against their enemies.

Elephants have also been used for

a long time for farming because
of their strength
and intelligence.
 Elephant Tourism Industry
When visiting Thailand, many people want the experience of riding an elephant
but this is something that should be avoided.

Elephants’ spines aren’t strong

enough to support the weight
of humans and many elephants
are treated badly when being
trained to be part of this industry.

For those tourists who want an elephant experience, it is encouraged that they
research elephant sanctuaries and find a place where a ‘hands-off’ experience
takes place.
 Karen Elephants

In the north of Thailand, most

elephants are owned by the
Karen tribes.

The Karen tribes are easy to spot

because they often wear a traditional
red shirt.
 Big Hugs!
Elephants are very social creatures
who love to stay in family groups.
Elephants are often
affectionate – they even
hug other elephants with
their trunks.

Group hugs!
 What Can Elephants Do?
Elephants are very strong creatures They can use their strong trunks for lots of
who can walk for miles and even swim things, including communicating and
long distances. bathing.

One thing they can’t do is jump! They’re one of only

a few land mammals that can’t jump. Others include
hippos and rhinos.