Elephants can swim for many hours and travel long distances across rivers and even between islands. They use their trunks as snorkels while their bodies stay submerged. Their buoyant bodies and powerful legs make swimming efficient. Elephants have been recorded swimming over 40 kilometers without rest. This ability helps them migrate and escape threats.
This matters because it expands our understanding of elephant range and movement. Water barriers are not real barriers to elephants.
It also affects conservation planning, especially in regions with fragmented habitats. Elephants can reach places humans don’t expect.
Elephants have been observed swimming in the ocean between islands in Asia. Their swimming routes may be passed down culturally.
National Geographic (nationalgeographic.com)