Classroom lesson ยท Wildlife ยท ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Zambia

African elephant

The largest land animal on Earth - and an unforgettable Zambian neighbour

Photo ยท Wikimedia Commons

What is it?

The African elephant is the biggest animal that walks on land. A grown male can be 3.5 metres tall at the shoulder and weigh as much as a small bus. Zambia has tens of thousands of them, living in big national parks like South Luangwa, Kafue and Lower Zambezi.

Tell me more

Elephants live in family groups led by the oldest female, called the matriarch. She remembers where the best water and food are - even in places she hasn't visited for many years. The youngest members of the family copy her, and that knowledge passes down through generations.

Their trunks are amazing tools. A trunk has around 40,000 muscles in it - more than the whole human body. With its trunk, an elephant can pick up a single leaf, smell the wind, suck up 10 litres of water at once, or trumpet a loud call across the savannah.

Elephant ears are huge - shaped a bit like the map of Africa - and they aren't just for hearing. The big surface of the ear lets blood cool down as it flows through, helping the elephant stay cool in the African heat. They flap their ears like fans on a hot day.

Elephants are very gentle with their babies. The whole family looks after a calf - aunts and older sisters help the mother. If a baby is tired, an adult will use her trunk to gently nudge it along. If the river is wide, the older elephants form a line to keep the baby in the middle, safe from the current.

In the classroom

Walk your class through this in 15 minutes.

Talk together

Discussion prompts

  1. 01Older elephants remember places from years ago. Why might that be important for the whole family?
  2. 02What would you do if you had a trunk for a day? What jobs would be easier?
  3. 03Elephant families share looking after the babies. What other animals work as a team to raise their young?
Try this

Classroom activity

On a piece of paper, draw your own elephant trunk and label five things you could do with it (suck up water, smell, pick up a leaf, call your friend, lift a log). Now pretend you have one - try picking up a pencil using only your arm bent like a trunk.