Blog

You may have noticed that Guillermina has the hairiest tail of all the elephants here at sanctuary. Rana also has some hair on hers which, interestingly enough, started to grow after her arrival here. But the other girls are hairless (which is common in captive elephants) and have tails of varying lengths and appearance, all individual to them. Often this is a result of elephant-on-elephant aggression and the terrible things that humans do to captive elephants. Tails are elephants’ built-in tools that help them navigate through day-to-day life. They are powerful and used for both tactile and sensory reasons. For today’s EleFact, we’re diving into the functionality of tails. 

Elephants cover their bodies with sand and mud to protect themselves from sun and insects, but the tail acts as a flyswatter, keeping bugs away from their back ends while the ears flap the bugs away in the front. The tail itself is covered with coarse, black hairs that can reach up to almost 100 cm, which also helps with insects. Research has shown that the hair on the tail of elephants, composed of keratin, is quite different from the hair on the rest of their bodies, and is similar to the horns of rhinoceroses or horse hooves. The girls also love when we apply bug spray to their tails as an extra layer of protection.

But tails are also used for more than just swatting insects. Female elephants often use their tails to feel around and check for calves to make sure they are still following behind. Like a mother might hold the hand of her child, a calf can also grab onto their mother’s tail for guidance or even comfort. The tail can be used as a disciplinary tool; elephants do not hesitate to give a swift and forceful swat at other elephants, if necessary. Some captive elephants also have broken tails, either from elephant confrontations (mostly biting) or abuse by humans. Still, no matter how they look, tails definitely have personality.

Photo of Guillermina and Maia’s tails