Nature ReachA traveller with a remarkable trunk
Explore the elephant’s search for food and water
Loxodonta africana
An elephant can curl its trunk around a branch or lift water towards its mouth. The same flexible trunk is also its nose.
Listen in Nature Reach
These are the same real voice recordings children hear in the app.
Savanna, woodland and places to drink
The elephant introduced here is the African savanna elephant, Loxodonta africana. In East Africa, it moves through grasslands and woodlands where vegetation and water sources help shape its journeys.
A large animal with a large appetite
Elephants need plenty of food and water, so they may travel far each day to find grass, leaves and water sources. Their diet includes both plants growing close to the ground and food gathered from trees.
Three things to notice
- An elephant uses its trunk to smell, gather leaves, lift branches and draw up water.
- Some elephant calls are too low for human ears to hear and help elephants communicate over long distances.
- Elephants coat their skin with mud or dust to help protect it from sunshine and biting insects.
Food from trees, water from rivers
Eating acacia leaves and twigs
Savanna elephants eat acacia leaves and young branches. These are part of the many different plants they feed on.
Drinking and cooling at a river
An elephant draws water into its trunk and pours it into its mouth to drink. It can also spray water over its body to cool down.
Find the elephant in Nature Reach
Open the free savanna map and find the elephant. Listen to its introduction and explore its connections to trees and water.
Explore the savanna
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Meet this speciesSources
- African savanna elephant biology, Animal Diversity Web
- Elephant trunks, communication and daily life, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Reviewed by Nature Reach on 17/10/2026.