During this weekend trip, my classmates and I fed, bathed and played with Asian elephants. We fed them large amounts of sugarcane and actually learned how to cut the sugarcane to feed to them, too.
As the second largest land mammals (after only the larger African elephant) elephants are clearly very large animals. An Asian elephant can weigh up to 12,000 pounds and be 10 feet tall. They have very large ears as well. If you've ever heard of the fictional character Dumbo, you know what I mean!
I was overwhelmed the first time I saw an elephant because it was so big. I get a little anxious around animals anyway, because they have minds of their own and who knows what they're thinking or going to do. After feeding them, I felt more comfortable being around them. Still, they are very intimidating and strong animals.
Elephants are native to Asia and Africa, living in and around forests or grasslands and also usually near bodies of water. They need vast habitats because they're big creatures and need space to roam.
