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Did you know? • Elephants are sentient and very intelligent. In fact, elephants are among the few species on the planet that show cross -species empathy. Elephants will aid another animal in distress even if it is not to their advantage biologically. Elephants have feelings! • As a species, elephants are among the few in the world that have self -recognition, social awareness and language. • Elephants live in complex family structures led by a matriarch. Female elephants stay with their mothers for life. If their mother dies, another female member of the herd (a sister or an aunt) will step in and take over the mother's role. • Male elephants stay with their mothers until they are teenagers. However, research shows that they often will return to the herd from time to time. • Elephants mourn their dead. They will often stand vigil for days over a herd member's body. They will return to the location where a herd member has died years later. Photo: Gig! Glendinninf • Performing elephants spend up to 96% of their lives in chains. • Performing elephants are often housed alone in cramped, unsanitary conditions, left to stand in their own waste, and do not receive adequate veterinary care. • The circus industry standard used to train an elephant to perform tricks is by "breaking" the elephant. This involves subjecting them to brutal training methods including the use of electric shock devices and physical beatings with sledgehammers, sticks and bullhooks (a device resembling a fireplace poker). Google 'circus elephant abuse': Photo: Stars Beatt • Wild elephants can live well into their 60s or 70s. However, most captive elephants die prematurely i� their late 30s or early 40s. • In the wild, elephants roam up to 50 miles per day and forage for food up to 18 hours per day. Walking helps • Arthritis and foot rot are the leading causes of elephants digest their food. euthanasia in captive elephants.