Asian elephants are highly intelligent. They can recognise themselves in a mirror, use tools, communicate with each other through deep rumbles that travel through the ground, and remember the location of water sources for decades. Elephant families are led by the oldest female, called the matriarch.
Cambodians have a long and deep connection with elephants. Elephants appear in temple carvings at Angkor Wat, in royal ceremonies and in traditional stories. The elephant is considered a symbol of strength, wisdom and good luck.
In the wild, elephants need huge areas of forest to roam — a single elephant might walk 50 kilometres in a day looking for food and water. One elephant eats around 150 kg of leaves, grass and fruit per day. That is why protecting large areas of forest like the Cardamom Mountains is so important.
Baby elephants are born after almost two years inside their mother — the longest pregnancy of any land animal. When a calf is born, the whole herd gathers round it. The other female elephants, called 'aunties', help the mother look after the calf.