Africa has some of the most unique animals on the planet. One of the most unique things about Africa is that it contains almost all of the biggest animals alive today: elephants, giraffes, rhinos and hippos. We call these four animals the megaherbivores because they are super big (mega) and all eat vegetation (herbivores). All four of the megaherbivores live in South Africa. Last week, I went on a safari in Addo Elephant National Park and the world-famous Kruger National Park to see some of these massive animals living in their natural habitat! I saw lots of wild elephants, which are some of my favorite animals.
African elephants are the biggest species of land animal alive today. The most notable feature of elephants (apart from their massive size) are their trunks and ears.
The trunk of an elephant has a special nose, but it can do a lot more than just smell. Trunks are very flexible and strong, and they use their trunks to grab and hold things like we would use our hands. Their trunks can even lift very heavy things, like tree branches and logs. Elephants also use their trunks like a giant straw to drink water. Because they are so big, they have a hard time bending over to drink.
