Can Ants Take Down an Elephant?
WouterConsidering the enormous size of the African elephant, it would be difficult to think that ants can take down this big and powerful animal. Yet, it’s true that ants have a way of attacking and killing elephants.
It’s believed that ants can get inside the trunk of an elephant. They can agitate the nerve endings, enter the brain and even reach the eardrum. They can also transmit diseases to other animals. In fact, the elephant is at risk of suffering from anaphylactic shock when they are stung by ants.
Several years ago, a missing tourist was killed by army ants in Tanzania. These ants are also known as legionnaire ants. They are powerful insects that attack their prey with machete jaws. They’re also known to eat smaller animals than themselves.
While studying the behavior of elephants, scientists found that they were afraid of ants. They stayed away from the trees where the ants were. The elephants seemed to be afraid of the ants because they smelled them and knew they would hurt them. The elephants avoided the ant-infested branches for an hour.
Another study found that acacia trees are avoided by elephants. The acacia trees are protected by ants. Moreover, the ants are also very effective at repelling elephants.
In addition to these, elephants are also afraid of stinging insects. These insects can enter the elephant’s ears and trunk, and if the ants get into the brain, they can cause anaphylactic shock.
