How Fast Can Elk Run

African elephants can run at speeds of up to forty km/h (25 mph), although most African elephants are more probable to take a top speed of 25 kph (effectually 15 mph).

However, that'due south just one part of the story. When elephants are at top speed there is ever one of their feet on the basis, and then technically they don't run at all. And what do you do when an elephant is running at you?

This commodity explores the cute African elephant on the move and provides some applied advice on what to practice when encountering one in the wild.

How Fast Can an Elephant Run?

According to a contempo report published in Nature magazine, Asian elephants run at 25 km/h (15 mph).

African elephants are much larger and can run at 40 km/h (25 mph), although no definitive studies have been conducted.

A team of biomechanists used kinetic measurements to measures speed of Asian elephants in Thailand.

They recorded 188 trials of convict elephants walking and running forth a 30-meter class.

Then they came upward with 25 km/h, but acknowledged that some of the elephants studied actually ran faster.

Virtually information about African elephants is heresy, based on reports from the bush and researchers on safari.

Different their Asian counterparts, African elephants take never been tamed, so it has been impossible to conduct a scientific report to measure their speed.

They move fast over brusk distances, particularly when threatened. Nearly estimates for an elephant'due south speed are between xx-40 km/h.

Anyone who has seen an elephant running in the wild is likely to recollect that elephants run closer to forty km/h than 20.

How Long Can Elephants Run for?

Elephants are the world'south largest land mammals. They're the largest animal to be walking (and running) on the earth correct now.

A mature male African elephant tin weigh over six tons. Some measure vii tons – that'due south 7000 kg or 15,000 pounds.

Information technology is very difficult for elephants to run at top speed for long, due to their immense weight. Commonly they merely dart for less than l meters and can but maintain a ho-hum running pace for less than a mile.

Wild African elephants are always on the movement. Most of them will comprehend at to the lowest degree 25 kilometers every single day. Some have been tracked and known to traverse near 200 kilometers in a unmarried day.

Do Elephants Run, or Exercise They Just Walk Very Fast?

Running usually involves all your anxiety coming off the ground. But that never happens with these giant pachyderms.

Compare them to other four-legged mammals and there's some other interesting quirk.

Most animals with four legs volition walk slowly, so trot at an increased speed, before galloping in order to run fast. Just remember about a wildebeest or buffalo.

Antelope like springbok are unlike, as they have a 2-footed hopping style, but it'southward the same concept – a clear stardom in how they move dependent on the speed.

Most all quadrupeds place their feet differently dependent on the speed they desire to go. Just recall about the footfall pattern of a horse.

Elephants don't.

They always maintain the same footfall pattern – correct hind foot, right front human foot, left hind foot, left front foot. And so you could say that elephants are not running, merely walking very fast.

Nobody is sure merely the general consensus is that elephants are also heavy to bring all their feet off the ground. Just imagine the force and pressure on the joints, 6 tons of elephant coming downward with every step!

Information technology gets more than complicated!

However, there are animals that run without their feet leaving the ground. Many ground birds do this, such as ducks.

The scientific, biomechanical definition for running concerns whether there is a change in mode.

When we walk we swing our legs back and forth in a direct line, something known as a pendulum-like gait.

When we run we bounce (although non very high now I'm getting older!), with the muscles in our leg compressing before expanding with power like a spring – a billowy gait.

Some researchers think that elephants change from a walking gait to a bouncing gait, so they do run. Others remember not. Nobody is for sure.

I of the reasons I love elephants so much is that even though they are and then big, they are actually pretty mysterious. They oasis't been tamed so mayhap we will never know if an African elephant can run.

Could You Outrun an Elephant?

That'due south very unlikely. Elephants can reach forty km/h but even well trained athletes rarely make it past 25 km/h. I tin can't run that fast and I've seen an elephant run – the take a chance of outrunning i must exist ane in a thousand.

Because they are so big it's hard to outrun an elephant by zigzagging. Yous would demand to brand ten steps for every i of the elephant's, so there is no style it'south possible.

Empathize: What You Should Do When Encountering an Elephant in the Wild

Respect their size and beauty

Instead of training to outrun an elephant, learn how to acknowledge their behaviour so y'all never need to run away from one!

These enormous animals are ordinarily pretty docile. You could call them big friendly giants.

That'south equally long every bit they are happy – when their mood changes they become unsafe.

Rule #1 – Always give an elephant infinite. They don't like to be challenged.

Rule #2 – Don't make sudden loud noises, such equally hand-claps or excited shrieks.

Rule #3 – Never utilise the flash on your camera. This is a certain way to have your safari vehicle flipped.

Rule #four – Don't come shut to them on foot unless you lot are with a very experienced guide.

Rule #five – If an elephant runs at you, the safest place to exist is behind a tree.

Understand their behaviour

Leopards are incredibly unsafe considering you never know what they are thinking. Fortunately, elephants similar to show how they feel.

Flapping their ears is a manner for elephants to absurd down. It'due south normal for the ears to flap slowly, every once in a while.

Flapping their ears repeatedly and at speed is a way for elephants to showcase their size. It's a sign of potency.

The other telltale sign is feet stamping. Commonly the front anxiety come up off the basis and kick up a load of dust when they come down.

So call back, ear flapping plus feet stamping means the elephant is not in a good mood and could exist very dangerous.

Elephants are clever and volition direct their behaviour towards a target. In most cases that'due south another elephant, or some other wild animal.

For case, elephants will use this tactic to scare away a rival, a pride of lions, or a herd of buffalo drinking from their waterhole.

If an elephant is stamping its feet and flapping its ears, while looking direct at yous and the safari vehicle…then you lot must back away immediately.

Retreat immediately

I have never understood how then many tourists accept had dangerous encounters with elephants. Their behaviour is one of the easiest to understand of all Africa's mammals.

Stamping feet and flapping ears in your direction – that's a alert.

Stamping anxiety and flapping ears in your management – that'southward a second alarm.

Stamping feet and flapping ears in your management – the elephant is about to charge.

These regal animals actually give you two warnings – lions certainly don't do that.

Notwithstanding, some tourists think this behaviour is part of a dramatic show for their camera, so they proceed taking the flash photos.

Until the elephant has flipped the vehicle and sent it rolling across the Kruger savannah.

So the golden rule with elephants is to retreat when yous experience the first warning. That style yous won't need to notice out if yous can outrun an elephant.

What Animals are Faster Than Elephants?

Of course the big cats are faster than elephants.

Lions can reach 80 km/h over short bursts, leopards sixty km/h simply can maintain that speed for longer, while cheetah are the fastest mammals on globe with a top speed of 120 km/h.

The critically endangered wild dog can maintain a speed of forty km/h for five kilometers.

But how does the elephant compare against the other giants of the savannah?

Hippo – top speed is 30 km/h and this behemothic kills more people than any other African mammal.

Blackness rhinoceros – a elevation speed of 55 km/h but mostly seen trotting at around 30 km/h.

Greatcoat buffalo – weighing up to a ton and running at 57 km/h, buffalo are not to be messed with.

Giraffe – giraffe have a beautiful loping gait and can run at 60 km/h when they get going.

Acquire More Virtually Africa'south Elephants

Encountering an elephant is one of safari's great treats. And it's never usually just i. Often it's a herd and sometimes you lot run across hundreds of them.

Chobe National Park in Botswana is abode to the world'south largest elephant population, with some researchers assertive that over 100 000 are based there during the dry out season.

You tin can read more than nearly the best places to sentinel elephants in Africa here.

What happens when a immature elephant takes on a pride of lions? Detect out beneath!

Also bank check out what sound an elephant makes. And if you want to encounter an elephant, accept a look through our practical guide to planning an African safari.