Safari Stars – Elephants

One of the best rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests ride on a big safari vehicle and get to see lots of African animals in their habitat. I love to take pictures of all the animals, but when I get home I often wish I knew the names of the animals in my pictures and maybe some facts about them. In Safari Stars, my new series, I will introduce you to 10 African animals found on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Along with a picture and their name I’ll give you 5 fun facts about each animal. Happiness Squared. Today’s animal is the African elephant.

Do you know how to tell an African elephant from an Indian elephant? No, you don’t have to check and see which continent you are on.  Just check the ears. Indian elephants have small ears and African elephants have huge ears. The elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are African elephants. If you’re not sure just check what ride you’re on. You won’t see any Indian elephants on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Elephants are amazing animals. I mentioned in a previous post that rhinos were considered mega-fauna. Well, elephants must be super mega-fauna since they are the largest land animals around. I always enjoy seeing them during the attraction for they are amazing creatures. Happiness squared.

5 fun facts about African elephants:

1) An adult African elephant’s trunk can get up to seven feet long. Its trunk can be used as a nose, straw, snorkel, fingers, fork, trumpet, rescue rope, arms for hugging, and lasso.

2) One elephant can eat up to 300 pounds of food a day.

3) Elephants are pregnant for 22 months. That is the longest of any animal.

4) Elephants can live to be 70 years old.

5) An adult African elephant can weigh up to 6 tons. That is the same as 3 Volkswagen Beetles.

Which elephant is your favorite? African or Indian?

Goofy Jokes:  (Okay, unless you are Dumbo these are not funny, but I love elephant jokes so I had to give you more than one.)

Q: How does an elephant get into a tree?

A: He climbs into it.

Q: How does an elephant get out of a tree?

A: He floats down with the leaves between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Q: Why should you never walk through the forest between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.?

A: That’s when the elephants get out of the trees.

Q: Why are alligators flat?

A: Because they walked through the forest between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Q: How do you get down from an elephant?

A: You don’t, silly.  You get down from a goose.

Q: What’s the different between an elephant and a dozen eggs?

A: If you don’t know I’m not sending you to the store for a dozen eggs.