EleFact Friday: A Step Ahead

The more that we see Kenya and Pupy move around their habitat, digging, playing in the mud, and pushing around trees, the more obvious it becomes how different the Asian and African species of elephants can be. There are the obvious physical things like the size and shape of their ears and some contrasting behaviors. Today, we’ll look at something else that makes them unique: their gait.

In a prior EleFact, we talked about toes. The number of toes actually varies between the species of elephant. African forest elephants have 5 toes on their front feet and 4 in the back, while African savanna elephants have 4 toes on the front and 3 in the back. Asian elephants, like the African forest elephants, have 5 toes on the front and 4 in the back.

African elephant feet also have a specific gait. If you watch an Asian elephant walk compared to an African elephant, their feet move in very different ways. African elephants tend to put the most pressure on the outside toes of their front feet and the least pressure on their heels, affecting how they walk. Scott describes African elephants’ walk as more ‘squishy’ than the way that Asian elephants walk (for lack of a more technical term). If you’re familiar with the elephants in our sanctuary, you’ve probably seen videos of their walks across the habitats. The video linked below is from ElephantVoices, an organization we’ve shared about before. Their Elephant Ethogram is a diverse collection of videos and audios that showcases various behaviors and vocalizations of African elephants. For those of you who want to learn more about the specifics of African elephant behavior, this is a great resource with lots of photos, videos, and audio.

Video courtesy of ElephantVoices

Comments(5)

Barbara L Smith says
August 8, 2025 at 2:18 pm

Thank you for your Friday Elefacts, it is always a teaching interesting information about the majestic elephants. Pray they will forever walk this earth.❤️
Doe Fowler says
August 8, 2025 at 4:51 pm

Thank you for this information. Just finished listening to the July Rumblings podcast and am in tears… for Tamy and now Sandro. Kat, Scott, and GSB team… your commitment to freeing elephants is infectious. Please know that the “rumblings” are felt and heard. You are not alone! Right now, feeling a bit helpless; however, I am praying for a legion of angels to assist us. What more can we do, as a community, to help you with the struggles you are facing? Love. Love. Love.
- REPLY
  Sara says
  August 8, 2025 at 5:12 pm
  
  Right now, let’s all try to keep Sandro and Tamy’s stories alive. And share the power of sanctuary in the healing process. Look for other elephants in need who could use your help. If one elephant is saved, then the sanctuary promise can be fulfilled.
Wim says
August 8, 2025 at 4:54 pm

This wonderful story feels like Walking with Elephants. I always enjoy their personal and different stride, even within the African and Asian variations. It looks like they’ve adapted
Perfectly into the species they are momentarily.
One wishes Africa and Asia would offer more protection to their walking miracles.
Zoi Flores says
August 8, 2025 at 5:18 pm

Very interesting information, as always. It’s fantastic to see a close-up of the nails with such a perfect manicure proportioned for nature

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