Elephants

Asian or African?

Bahini and Sumita are Asian elephants.  They have got small ears and very small tusks which you hardly can see. Only adult Asian elephant bulls get long tusks. Asian elephants are also called Elephas maximus. They live in India, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka …

Hella
This is “Hella”, a female Asian elephant at Zoo Budapest
Motki & Yasmin im Sósto Zoo
These are “Motki” and “Yasmin”, two Asian elephant ladies at Sósto Zoo. Can you spot the small tusk?

African elephants have got big ears. Not only adult elephant bulls, also female African elephants have got tusks.  African elephants are also called Loxodonta africana. They live in many countries in Africa.

Tonga
This is “Tonga”, a female African elephant at Zoo Vienna (Tiergarten Schönbrunn)

Ivory

Ivory is a hard, white material, derived from the tusks of elephants. There are great stuff and art work made of ivory. But you cannot just cut off the tusks, you have to kill the elephant to get its tusks. Because of the killing of adult elephants lots of elephant babies get orphaned in Africa every year.
Do not buy any stuff made of ivory, please!