Ummati Islamic Website
Related Articles
Our hearts need to be constantly reminded of the Greatness of Allah Ta’ala and by pondering over His Magnificent creation, this will enable the heart to be filled with His Greatness. Thus we say Allahu Akbar!
- Elephants are the largest land mammals in the world. An African elephant can reach up to 4 meters in height and 7000 kilograms in weight. Elephants can consume as much as 200 kilograms of forage in a day and drinks 190 liters of water. Elephants eat grass, leaves branches, bark, roots, fruits, seeds and flowers. They can graze for up 16 hours or more each day. Because they spend so much grazing, elephants only sleep around 4-5 hours every day. They generally walk about 25 km each day, but they can easily walk up to 195km in a single day.
- The trunk of an elephant is unique. It is an elongated nose that grows from the upper lip. It can be as long as 1.5m and has 40 000 muscles making it extremely versatile. It has no bones. It also functions like a hand. The elephant uses it to eat, drink and even make noises. It is powerful enough to uproot a tree, yet delicate enough to pick up a blade of grass or break open a peanut shell. The trunk can also be used to squirt dust or water. It can hold up to 11.5 liters of water. Elephants also smell with their trunks. Their sense of smell is amongst the best in the animal kingdom. Elephants can smell a human being from a distance of up to 1km. Trunks are also used as snorkels enabling an elephant to swim under water.
- Elephants have the largest brain compared other animals. They learn very fast and have excellent memories. Because they possess a degree of intelligence, man can tame them and utilise them for various tasks. Asian elephants are used to transport people. History tells us that elephants were used in battle in the days of the past. The Persians used elephants to fight the Muslims in the battle of Qaadsiyyah. Abraha also intended to destroy the Ka’bah by means of elephants.
- An elephant has tusks which are actually its incisor teeth. These teeth continue growing throughout its life, but are prone to wear and breakages. Made of ivory, tusks are very valuable and elephants are poached because of them. Ivory in various parts of Africa differ in terms of colour, chemical composition and hardness. These characteristics provide insight into the elephant’s diet and the composition of the soil where it lives. Such differences assist authorities to prevent trade in ivory as they allow scientists to ascertain where the tusks originate.
- Elephants play an important role in nature. By digging holes in dry river beds, they provide a water source for other animals. Further, they produce around 110kg of dung every day. Dung beetles carry this dung underground where it acts as fertilizer.
- Female elephants are very protective over their young calves. If anything happens to a nursing mother, another lactating female elephant usually takes over the nursing of the orphan elephant.
- The lifespan of an elephant is 65-70 years.
Extracted from Animals Of The Quraan
