The curious case of the Desert Adapted Elephants in Namibia

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Elephants in the Desert? Yes, an astonishing collection of wildlife has adapted to the arid desert and seemingly inhospitable environment in Namibia. And then your next question will be how?

They have adapted to their dry, semi-desert environment by having a smaller body mass with proportionally longer legs and seemingly larger feet than other elephants. Their physical characteristics allow them to cross miles of sand dunes to reach water. They have even been filmed sliding down a dune face to drink at a pool in a desert oasis. Water, dust, and especially mud are sought out for bathing and coating the skin against the harsh sun and biting insects.

They communicate in a highly intelligent way with others of their species. Many of their calls are low-frequency calls and rumbles (below the level of human hearing) that can travel 5-10km or more. They can also make a variety of other sounds and calls including trumpeting, snorting, roaring, barking and grunting.

Just look how beautiful they are

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Herd-of-desert-adapted-African-Elephants-in-Damaraland

We were also privileged with this very special sighting

They are of high national and international conservation priority and have been designated as top priority for protection by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). There is only one other group of desert-dwelling Elephants in the world. They live in Mali in North Africa.

Join Nature Travel Namibia on safari to see these amazing Desert Adapted animals!

 

 

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