5 mysterious phenomena about elephants
1) Digging holes
The elephant strips and moulds bark from trees using its trunk and tusks and chew it to make a giant ball. Then they use it to plug a waterhole previously dug and covers it with sand. When they need water, they uncover the sand, unplug the hole and drink the water from the hole by sucking through the trunk and squirting it into the mouth.
2) Retrieving water
When there is hardly any water nearby or on hot days, elephants put their trunks in the mouth to retrieve liquid and spray themselves with it. But the source of this water has been a mystery. Two credible sources of the water are the pharyngeal pouch and the stomach. Scientists have detected small food particles in the sprayed water and such content are only found in the pharyngeal pouch and not in the stomach. The contents of the stomach are digested food, and that would irritate the skin because they are acidic. Moreover, elephants are seen doing the spraying even while walking and running. It would be difficult to suck water from the stomach and do the spraying while walking or running. Therefore, the most likely source of the water is the pharyngeal pouch and not the stomach.
3) Mimicking sounds
Elephant can play and mimic sounds they hear in the nature or of other beings. They have been simulating the sounds of their trainer and passing trucks. Often, the elephant articulates certain sounds to bear a strong resemblance to the word spoken.
4) Self-medicating
The true manifestation of the elephant’s intelligence is its ability to self-medicate. A pregnant mother due to give birth will chew on the leaves of Boraginaceae tree to induce labour.
5) Playfulness
The elephant’s playfulness indicates its superior intellect. It includes games such as throwing sticks, passing an object or squirting water from its trunk. Elephants in zoos have been seen stealing caps from onlookers and hiding them in a teasing manner
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