How Do Elephants Use Their Trunks
“They can swim and cross rivers without any problem,” Surendra Varma, senior scientist at the Bangalore-based Asian Nature Conservation Foundation, said. However, he noted that since most live in forested or mountainous areas, this skill isn’t really displayed to the extent it is in these islands. It’s surreal to swim with an elephant, especially in tropical blue water. I remember thinking, “Wow, this is crazy that I’m here witnessing this.” Often, Rajan was in shallower areas. But I really hoped to get a photo of him swimming weightlessly in deeper water, his legs kicking freely, in doggy paddle motion. It all came down to whatever mood Rajan was in.
After bathing, they use their trunks to dust themselves with dirt and mud to protect their skin from sun exposure. African elephants aren’t only the largest land mammals in the world, they also have the longest gestation period of any land animal—22 months! A newborn elephant can weigh up to 260 pounds, and this extra development time is thought to increase their ability to survive on their own from a young age. Since the turn of the century, Sri Lankan elephant populations have fallen by almost 65 percent thanks to an increase in deforestation on the island. Currently, the elephants are protected under Sri Lankan law, where killing one results in steep penalties. The video shows multiple navy officials swimming from a ship in scuba gear with ropes, which they tied around the elephant.
With both of these examples at hand, it’s hard to say anything else other than that elephants are able to swim long distances. The elephants four legs are used to propel them through the water. Their legs are so powerful that they can swim continuously for as long as six hours! An elephant’s head and torso are generally kept just below the surface of the water as it paddles its massive limbs back and forth on a typical swim. Elephants use their trunk as a snorkel while swimming.
Elephants are native to Asian forests and African savannas, where temperatures can reach extremes. Water is essential to the survival of these species. These creatures can perish quickly if they do not have access to water throughout the summer. In fact, they had no choice but to leap elephant into the water to cool down their bodies during intense heat. Under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Asian elephants are classified as endangered and have faced significant threats from logging and loss of habitat. Some elephants have even found fame as swimmers.
Jonathan’s excellence in photography is rivaled by his love for teaching. Jonathan has also produced an instructional DVD on Photoshop and an online training series on Lightroom. When not working, Jonathan likes to spend his time rock climbing, surfing and snowboarding. Jonathan has been diving since 2000 and considers documenting the underwater world one of the greatest privileges in his life. A newborn elephant calf trunk has no muscle tone. This means that it will have to suckle through its mouth.
If you run, the elephant will be more likely to chase you. The sea faring elephants of the Andamans and Sri Lanka are very well known. Legends like the elephant named Rajan, of the Andamans, was featured in a Hollywood movie too. However, I had not been lucky enough to see one actually swim, until this March, in Kaziranga, when I was a first hand witness to that. He felt so comfortable with Nazroo and didn’t want to be far from him.
Rajan’s body lies deep within the forests of his adopted home where it will lay undisturbed after 66 years of a truly unconventional life. The largest ever recorded elephant swim was over 22 miles long and took place in India. The elephant trunk serves as a snorkel while they’re swimming, this helps them to breathe while they are underwater.
Regulate their body temperatures through rolling in mud or taking a swim. When an elephant gets into water or mud, they store that material in their skin. This helps their bodies stay cool, protects them from the sun and keeps parasites away. That is one of the reasons why you tend to see elephants around watering holes.
Granted, elephants aren’t very deep divers, though they can hold their breath for a few minutes or so in dire circumstances. They strongly prefer to keep their trunks above water as much as possible, and they don’t have much of a reason to swim deep underwater anyway. So, although they can technically swim with their bodies completely underwater, elephants tend to stay at depths of only a foot or two underwater. Swimming is a surprising pastime for many elephants, especially among babies and juveniles!