International Elephant Day: Here are some interesting facts about world's largest mammal

The African Savanna elephant, also known as the Bush elephant, is an awe-inspiring creature that holds the title of the largest terrestrial animal on Earth. Fully grown males, referred to as bull elephants, can reach an impressive height of up to 3m and tip the scales at an average of 6,000kg. (Image Credit: PM Modi's X account)

Do you know that you can tell the difference between three species-- African Savanna (Bush), African Forest, and Asian-- by their ears? African elephants possess significantly larger ears compared to their Asian counterparts. These ears are often said to resemble the shape of the African continent itself. In contrast, the ears of Asian elephants bear a resemblance to the Indian subcontinent in terms of their shape. (Image credit: Canva)

Elephant tusks, which are essentially oversized incisor teeth, initially emerge when the animals reach approximately two years of age. These tusks persist in growing for the entirety of the elephants' lives. The primary functions of tusks are to assist with feeding activities and to serve as a means of defense during confrontations with other elephants or potential threats. (Image credit: PM Modi's X account)

An elephant’s skin is 2.5cm thick in most places. The folds and wrinkles in their skin can retain up to 10 times more water than flat skin does, which helps to cool them down. They keep their skin clean and protect themselves from sunburn by taking regular dust and mud baths. (Image Credit: PM Modi's X account)

Who doesn't like food but definitely not like elephants? They eat the food continuously. Elephants have a diverse diet that varies based on the time of year and their environment. To maintain their large bodies, elephants require a substantial amount of daily sustenance, consuming as much as 150 kilograms of food each day. (Image credit: Canva)

Elephants possess an incredible muscular structure in their trunks, consisting of approximately 150,000 individual muscle units. This remarkable organ is considered to be the most sensitive among all mammals. One of the primary functions of an elephant's trunk is to draw water for drinking, with the capacity to hold up to 8 litres at a time. (Image credit: PM Modi's X account)

When a child is born, it is believed that they will be weak but in the case of the elephant is different. Elephant calves can stand within 20 minutes of being born and can walk within 1 hour. After two days, they can keep up with the herd. (Image Credit: Canva)

Elephants possess a diverse array of communication methods, utilizing a range of sounds, including trumpet calls, some of which are inaudible to human ears. They also rely on body language, touch, and scent to convey messages to one another. Additionally, these majestic creatures can transmit and perceive seismic signals - "sounds that create vibrations in the ground" - potentially detecting these vibrations through their skeletal structure. (Image Credit: Canva)

The elephant's temporal lobe (the area of the brain associated with memory) is larger and denser than that of people - hence the saying 'elephants never forget'. (Image Credit: PM Modi's X account)

Around 90% of African elephants have been wiped out in the past century - largely due to the ivory trade - leaving an estimated 415,000 wild elephants alive today. Asian elephants are also under threat, having declined by at least 50% in the last three generations. There are only around 48,000–52,000 individuals left in the wild. (Image credit: Canva)