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Top Ten: Elephants Facts

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Elephant fact #6

Elephants are magnificent swimmers. They use all four legs to swim and are able to move swiftly, their body mass providing flotation while their trunk acts like a snorkel. They can even swim long distance; it is thought elephants once swam from Southern India to Sri Lanka where they settled.

Elephant fact #7

The life cycle of an elephant is fairly similar to that of a human. They begin mating around the age of 20 and have a life expectancy of around 70. The oldest elephant in captivity lived to the ripe old age of 86.

Elephant fact #8

Gay elephants? Yep, you heard it here. Researchers have found that male elephants will form same-sex relationships and will try to mate each other. Male elephants will also intertwine their trunks, 'kiss' and place their trunks in each others' mouths.

Elephant fact #9

In many cultures the elephant is sacred. The God Ganesh is depicted with an elephant's head in Hinduism, a white elephant is considered extremely holy in Thailand, and elephants are used in numerous festivals in Sri Lanka.

Elephant fact #10

Both African and Asian elephants are threatened by shrinking living space and poaching for the illegal ivory trade. Decreased habitat size has forced elephants to forage for food and has led to clashes with humans, resulting in up to 300 human deaths per year. There has been an international ban on ivory since 1989, the same year in which elephants were placed on the official endangered species list.