The Language of the Trunk: Amazing Things that Elephant’s Nose Can Do

Since we are all kids, we already learn that one of elephants' most unique features is their trunk. It looks like a very long nose, but beyond breathing and smelling, there are more things that an elephant trunk can do. Containing over 40,000 muscles, the elephant trunk is a powerful and versatile organ that can be used for eating, lifting heavy objects, expressing emotion through touch, and many more.

Lots of Versatility in One Organ
Although elephants don’t have hands like humans do, with their trunk, they can do lots of things — sometimes even more than we can do. Simple things such as grabbing the tiniest leaves, pulling down heavy branches, and plucking juicy fruits straight from trees are such easy stuff for them.

Moving to more complicated things, the trunk also acts as a powerful straw. Elephants are able to suck up to 8-10 litres of water at once with their trunk and then spray it into their mouth or all over their body during a cooling bath.

Among their fellow elephants, they use it to give a gentle tug to guide a calf to safety or show some affection. In fact, a baby elephant often wraps its trunk around its mother’s for comfort, just like a human child might hold hands.

A Language Without Words
Beyond physical uses, the trunk is also a tool for communication. Elephants can “talk” with their trunks in really unique ways. They touch other elephants' faces or bodies gently for greeting, reassurance, or even an apology. A soft tap with their trunk can mean “Hi, I’m here”, while a little firm push might signal some kind of “Alright, let’s go.” These gentle gestures help keep the group emotionally connected, especially in the tightly bonded families of Sumatran elephants.

And just like people who can show emotion through a hug or a pat on the back with their arms, elephants show excitement, curiosity, or worry through the movement of their trunks. A raised trunk might be a sign of caution, alert for danger — while a relaxed one shows calm and safety.

The Ultimate Smell Detector
Have the same function as a nose; the elephant trunks also have a powerful sense of smell. They can detect food and water from kilometres away. Unfortunately, lately their ability to search for food sometimes intersects with some human residential activities — which, by the way, invade elephants’ natural territory. Elephants may detect some crops or food stored in some houses, and they just simply want to eat — not realising that it will be a serious conflict.

A Symbol of Survival and Emotion
For them, the trunk is more than just a muscular body part; it is the most important aspect of their life. And since their natural areas are increasingly threatened by human activities, they will use their trunk even more frequently — to find food, communicate with their herd, and remove obstacles in their way.

Their trunk also becomes their most expressive body part in some grieving times. When the herd lose one of their members, fellow elephants often give a gentle touch to the body and bones of the deceased, as if they are mourning and sending an ultimate farewell. Elephants’ trunk movement in a mourning scene can bring such a heartbreaking feeling to witness.

Let’s Keep Their Language Alive
After learning lots of incredible abilities of the elephant’s trunk, we should understand one more reason to protect these magnificent creatures. Their bodies carry thousands of years of evolution, wisdom, and harmony with nature.

Although we cannot talk with elephants in their language, we can become the amplifier of their voice by supporting forest protection, rejecting elephant exploitation and entertainment, and spreading the message to help these beautiful creatures to continue their lives.