World Elephant Day 2022: History, significance and facts about the largest land mammals on earth

World Elephant Day is observed every year on August 12 to raise awareness about preservation and protection of the world's elephants.

Poaching is the No. 1 threat facing these 'gentle giants'. Loss of habitat, human-elephant conflict, mistreatment by humans, captivity are some of other issues affecting the jumbos. World Elephant Day is also marked to draw people's attention on these issues and teach them the importance of protecting this docile animal.

World Elephant Day 2022: History

World Elephant Day was first observed on August 12, 2012. It was due the efforts of Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, that August 12 began to be observed as World Elephant Day.

World Elephant Day 2022: Significance
World Elephant Day aims to spread awareness about the plight of Asian and African elephants. According to their official website, the aim is "work towards better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and, when appropriate, reintroducing captive elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries are the goals that numerous elephant conservation organizations are focusing on around the world".

World Elephant Day 2022: Facts
Here are some of the facts about the jumbos that we bet you didn't know.
1. Elephants are the largest land mammals on earth. In fact, African Savanna (Bush) elephant is the largest land animal on our planet.
2. This docile animal has 3 species - African Savanna (Bush), African Forest and Asian. Interestingly, you can distinguish between them on the basis of their ears and trunks.
3. Elephants are pachyderms, which means they have thick skin, almost 2.5 cm in some areas.
4. Elephants eat a LOT! They can spend up to three-quarters of their day just eating!
5. Elephants' trunks are a wonder organ. It has about 150,000 muscle units and it is most sensitive organ found in any mammal.
6. Their tusks grow throughout their lives.
7. Elephants 'never forget'. This is because their temporal lobe (the brain's area associated with memory) is larger and denser than humans.
8. They communicate via sound vibrations.
9. As unbelievable as it may sound, elephant calves can stand within 20 minutes of being born. They can walk within 1 hour after they are birth.