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The Asian elephants at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have moved into new night quarters. During park hours,
the elephants may be seen on habitat, but they now spend their evenings in a newly constructed
10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, with 10 individually heated bedrooms. Additionally,
the elephants’ new digs have a scale and hydraulic doors that are operated by a touch screen.
- Cool it! Elephants often cool down by throwing dirt on their backs. Another popular method is
flapping their large ears, which sends cool air over the large veins in their ears. This cools the
blood, which is then recycled back through the body.
- Can they really do that? The most obvious characteristic of elephants, besides their massive size,
is their trunk. The trunk is nothing more than an elongation of their nose and upper lip. Besides
being used for breathing and smelling it is used as an appendage, much like an arm and hand. Elephants
are capable of sucking up to three gallons of water into the trunk to be sprayed into their mouths for
drinking or onto their backs for bathing. They also use the fingerlike projections at the tip to
manipulate small objects and to pluck grasses.
- Conservation. Elephant populations have declined drastically in both Asia and Africa due to habitat
loss and poaching. Scientists estimate that 500,000 elephants remain in Africa and about 30,000 in all
Asian countries. To help protect this endangered species, consumers should avoid purchasing products
made from elephant hair, ivory or skin. Avoiding tropical hardwood products made from the elephants’
native forests can also help protect their habitat.
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