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Appearance And Characteristics
Elephants are gigantic creatures with strong legs, but you wouldn’t expect them to be rapid movers simply by looking at them. To begin with, they are extraordinarily heavy, weighing somewhere between 6,000 to 15,000 pounds, and their physique does not appear to be particularly fitted to running at all. So, how rapidly can elephants move?
Is it even possible for them to sprint with such long legs and broad, flat feet?
Let’s take a closer look at these astonishingly agile creatures, their maximum speed, and just how far they can stroll or sprint at once. If you ever find yourself in a race with an elephant, you will not want to overlook it!
What Is The Maximum Distance They Walk?
Elephants’ bodies aren’t built for sprinting. They prefer long-distance walks instead. Elephants must wander continually to find new leaves, branches, grasses, fruits, and vegetables to eat as they need to eat for twenty hours each day to maintain their body weight.
Both African and Asian elephants can walk 50+ kilometers in a single day if necessary, amazing isn’t it? Long journeys like these are exceptional, happening only in dry seasons or extreme food crises. The precise distance ranges fluctuate significantly based on ecological circumstances, availability of food, and a variety of other complicated developments.
Although, on average, wild elephants walk or roam for about 9 to 12 miles, which is certainly an incredible effort!
Humans walk far less, averaging roughly 2 to 5 miles each day. This is mainly because they do not have to travel far to obtain essential resources such as food and water. Moreover, they don’t ever have to avoid predators or fight with other animals for food.
Can Elephants Run?
Elephants, despite their massive size and weight, are surprisingly quite swift sprinters. African elephants, for instance, may reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. Asian elephants, on the contrary, move at a slightly slower pace, reaching speeds of up to 15 miles per hour at most.
Remarkably, even at top speeds, these magnificent creatures maintain at least one foot firmly planted on the ground throughout.
They can’t jump because they need a foot on the ground to support their massive, heavy frames. However, while an elephant is running, its footsteps follow the exact pattern as to when it is walking at a considerably slower pace.
As an outcome, there has been considerable disagreement among researchers about how these strong pachyderms can run in any way. Most suggest elephants run, although in slow motion while others are doubtful because they never elevate both of their feet above the ground and “bounce” like other animals when sprinting.
How Do These Mammoths’ Speeds Fare Against Humans?
The fastest recorded human running speed was 27.3 miles per hour, set by Usain Bolt’s unreal Olympic sprint races in 2011. Such speeds, on the contrary, are extremely tough and, in fact, unachievable for the normal human. Most individuals can just run at speeds of 6 to 10 miles per hour.
With this information in hand, it’s very clear that elephants can outrun most humans.
Although, someone like Usain Bolt would be a formidable competitor for them.
How Long Can They Keep Running?
Elephants are the largest terrestrial creatures on this planet. They are currently the largest mammal walking (and sprinting) on the planet. A fully grown male African elephant typically weighs around six tons. While some even weigh seven tons, which is 7,000 kilos or 15,000 lbs.
Due to their massive mass, elephants struggle to sprint at maximum speed for extended periods. They can usually sprint for fewer than 50 meters and run at relaxed speeds for less than a mile.
Elephants in the wild are constantly on the go. Each day, the bulk of them will travel at least 25 kilometers. A few have been spotted and documented to go nearly 200 kilometers in a day.
Is It Running, Or Just Jogging?
Running normally requires lifting all of your feet off the ground. But this is never the case with these enormous mammals.
There’s another noteworthy difference between them and other four-legged mammals. Most four-legged mammals walk slowly initially, then jog at a faster pace before accelerating to run.
Antelope, like springbok, have a two-footed hopping technique, but the idea is always the same, a visible distinction as to how they actually move depends on the speed. Just about all four-footed mammals put their feet differently depending on the speed at which they wish to go.
Elephants, however, do not. They always walk in the same pattern: right rear foot, right front foot, left rear foot, left front foot.
So, elephants are not sprinting, but rather walking quite briskly.
Other Similar Creatures Capable Of Running:
There are, however, creatures that can sprint without their feet off the surface. Many terrestrial birds, including ducks, do this. Running’s factual and biomechanical definition is focused on a shift in style.
When we walk, we sway our feet back and forth in a straight path, which is referred to as a pendulum gait. As we run, we hop (although not very high), with the muscles in both legs contracting before extending with strength like a spring.
Several researchers suggest elephants jog because they switch from a walking to a hopping gait. Critics differ.
What To Do In An Encounter With These Giants?
Rather than learning to outrun the elephant, learn to identify its actions so you don’t ever have to flee from them. These gigantic creatures are typically quite gentle. They could be described as large gentle giants.
That is, as long as they are cheerful, if their temperament alters, they become violent.
Below mentioned as some guidelines or rules, you’d want to follow while encountering an elephant:
- Try and give an elephant plenty of room as they dislike being challenged.
- Make no loud, abrupt noises, such as handclaps or wild cries.
- Avoid using your camera’s flashlight. This is not a very nice way to get your safari vehicle flipped.
- Unless you are accompanied by a highly-skilled guide, do not approach elephants on foot.
- If an elephant charges, the ideal place to hide is behind a tree.
Elephants calm themselves by flapping their ears. It is natural for the ears to flap gently now and then. Elephants display their size by flapping their ears continuously and aggressively. It’s a sign of power.
Foot stamping is another obvious indication. When the front feet lift off the ground, they start kicking up a lot of dust.
Remember that ear flapping coupled with foot-stamping indicates that the elephant is not in positive spirits and could be quite harmful.
Elephants are smart and tend to aim their behavior towards a certain target. Most of the time, it’s another elephant or a wild animal.
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