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[MAKES ELEPHANT NOISE].
LEO: TODAY, MY FRIENDS AND I ARE MAKING
NOISE ABOUT ELEPHANTS.
NO WAY, I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT...
DO YOU HAVE A VIDEO?
THIS IS MY FRIEND ALI, SHE WAS JUST TELLING ME THAT
ELEPHANTS USE THEIR TRUNKS FOR ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
AS YOU CAN TELL BY HER, UM, TRUNK,
ALI IS A HUGE FAN OF ELEPHANTS.
AND WHO CAN BLAME HER?
ELEPHANTS CAN SMELL WATER FROM MILES AWAY,
THEY CAN TELL IF AN ANIMAL IS A FRIEND OR AN ENEMY
AND EVEN MAKE TOOLS, ALL USING THEIR TRUNKS.
AN ELEPHANT'S TRUNK CAN BE USED AS A SNORKEL IN DEEP
WATER AND IT CAN EVEN HOLD TWO GALLONS OF LIQUID,
TWO GALLONS!
BABY ELEPHANTS HAVE TO LEARN TO USE THEIR TRUNKS,
AT FIRST IT'S MORE LIKE A FLOPPY GARDEN HOSE
THAN A USEFUL LIMB.
SPEAKING OF BABY ELEPHANTS, THEY'RE SUPER ADORABLE.
AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THEIR EARS.
ELEPHANT'S EARS HAVE A UNIQUE PATTERN OF VEINS,
JUST LIKE FINGERPRINTS, NO TWO ARE ALIKE.
AFRICAN ELEPHANT'S EARS CAN BE 6 FEET TALL,
NOW THAT'S A HUGE FINGERPRINT.
EARS ARE ALSO ONE OF THE WAYS TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE TWO SPECIES OF ELEPHANTS, AFRICAN AND ASIAN.
ASIAN ELEPHANTS HAVE SMOOTHER SKIN AND
SMALLER EARS THAN AFRICAN ELEPHANTS.
ALSO, VERY FEW ASIAN ELEPHANTS HAVE TUSKS.
THEY USE THESE EXTRA-LONG INCISOR TEETH TO PEEL BARK
FROM TREES, DIG UP ROOTS TO FIND WATER AND TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES AGAINST ENEMIES.
COMBINED, THE TWO TUSKS CAN WEIGH OVER 200 POUNDS.
UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE THE MAIN REASON WHY
AFRICAN ELEPHANTS ARE ENDANGERED.
ELEPHANT TUSKS ARE MADE OF IVORY,
WHICH IS PRIZED BY SOME CULTURES.
IT'S CARVED INTO STATUES, MADE INTO JEWELRY AND
CRUSHED INTO POWDER.
POACHING, THE ILLEGAL HUNTING AND KILLING OF ANIMALS
IS THE BIGGEST DANGER TO ELEPHANTS.
POACHERS KILL THESE AMAZING ANIMALS JUST
TO TAKE THEIR TUSKS.
IT'S TOO AWFUL TO EVEN THINK ABOUT.
JUST OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO,
MILLIONS OF ELEPHANTS ROAMED ACROSS AFRICA AND ASIA.
TODAY, ONLY HALF A MILLION REMAIN ON THE ENTIRE PLANET.
IF NOTHING IS DONE TO STOP THE POACHERS,
ELEPHANTS WILL DISAPPEAR.
BUT AREN'T GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN, ARE WE?
WE'RE GOING TO TRUMPET AS LOUD AS A HERD OF ELEPHANTS
TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT WHAT WE CAN ALL DO TO HELP.
ALI, HOW 'BOUT ADDING SOME HUGE FLOPPY EARS
TO THAT COSTUME?
HA-HA, NO WAY THAT WON'T GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION!
WHOA, DYLAN GOT OVER 300 SIGNATURES ON HER PETITION
TO MAKE SELLING IVORY ILLEGAL.
AND SHE HAS A MEETING WITH HER
STATE REPRESENTATIVE TO DELIVER IT.
GO DYLAN!
WOW, NOW I'M TOTALLY INSPIRED TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP.
I FEEL A POEM COMING ON, HMM.
WHAT RHYMES WITH WRINKLES?
MISSION ANIMAL RESCUE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE
WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD.
VISIT NATGEO.COM/KIDS/ MISSION-ANIMAL-RESCUE.