Southeast Asia. Traditionally, two species are recognised, the African
elephant (pictured) and the Asian elephant, although some evidence
suggests that African bush elephants and African forest elephants are
separate species. The largest living terrestrial animals, male African
elephants can reach a height of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 7,000 kg
(15,000 lb). Distinctive features include the trunk, used for many
purposes, and tusks, which serve as tools and weapons. Females (or
"cows") tend to live in family groups; males (or "bulls") leave their
family groups when they reach puberty, and may live alone or with other
males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a
mate. Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild, and their
intelligence has been compared to primates and cetaceans. African
elephants are classed as vulnerable, while the Asian elephant is classed
as endangered. Elephants are threatened by poaching for the ivory trade,
habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. They are highly
recognisable and have been featured in art, folklore, religion,
literature and popular culture.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1860:
Led by Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi (pictured), the
volunteer Expedition of the Thousand set sail from Genoa on a campaign
to conquer the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_of_the_Thousand>
1904:
Pitcher Cy Young of the Boston Americans threw the first
perfect game in the modern era of professional baseball.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cy_Young>
1940:
World War II: A squad of 250 Norwegian volunteers in Hegra
Fortress finally surrendered to a vastly superior Nazi force after a
25-day siege.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hegra_Fortress>
1961:
Project Mercury: Aboard the American spacecraft Freedom 7, Alan
Shepard made a sub-orbital flight, becoming the second person to travel
into outer space.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Shepard>
1980:
The British Special Air Service stormed the Iranian Embassy in
London, six days after Iranian Arab separatists had seized it.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Embassy_siege>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
Stakhanovite:
An extremely productive or hard-working worker, especially in the former
USSR, who may earn special rewards; a workaholic.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Stakhanovite>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Sin is in itself separation from the good, but despair over sin
is separation a second time.
--Søren Kierkegaard
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard>
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