Piranku's Home Page

Though I search the triple world through all its mundane passages
no man has met my vision's field or come within my hearing's range
who could really bind to a post of self restraint
the raging elephant of his mind
with its drunken desire to court the world of the sense

Hello and welcome to my home page--probably the world's first home page maintained by an elephant! I hope that this home page will be a repository of information for and about elephants of all types. On this hypertexted page, you will be able to access various sites that deal with elephants and elephant interests. Please note: this is a baby picture, I'm now 5 years old, so I look more mature in person, don't be surprised.

FAQs (about me)

To Which Elephant Species Do I Belong?

Can you identify my particular elephant species from my image? I belong to the species loxodonta africana ("loxodonta" for losenge-shaped teeth); my species affiliation should be obvious to those "in the know" from my massive ears and gently curved back. The loxodonta africana comprises two subspecies: loxodonta africana africana, the African savannah elephant, and loxodonta africana cyclotis ("cyclotis" for round ear), the smaller African forest elephant.

My Asiatic cousins belong to the species elephas maximus, identifiable by their smaller ears, domed back, often more mottled coloring, and "single-fingered" trunk. If I may digress for a moment, let me say that I take exception to the name elephas maximus. Not only are those elephants smaller in general than we massive African pachyderms, but the term elephas derives from the ancient Greek word for ivory, which only later came to signify the beast whence the ivory is taken. As you can see, according to the term elephas maximus, the Asian elephant is a product first and an entity second! The Asian elephant is actually in greater threat of extinction than my species. Click here to find out what's being done to help my "cousins."

Elephant Pages from Around the World
(always expanding)

  • Look! Another Elephant-Managed Website!
  • New! Super Elephant Resources!
  • A Book on the Elephants of Sri Lanka
  • Friends of the Asian Elephant
  • from Sweden, Dan Koehl's Amazing Elephant Resources
  • from "down under"
  • from Michigan (includes elephant cookie recipies)
  • Operation Dumbo Drop

    Environmental and Animal Issues

     If you would like to learn more about me and my kind, why not peruse some of the sites I've linked here. The Fund for Animals recently won an award for the quality of its site, and you can find liks to other animal-related resources through their home page. I have noticed that in addition to a general human interest in animal welfare, human cows (I think you call them "women") in particular have taken an interest in animal rights. Find out more at Feminists for Animal Rights Of course, PETA (The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) can also provide you with information about animals and how to live a more "animal-friendly" life. And PAWScan point you to animals in need of adoption and help you with other animal-friendly acts. The Rainforest Action Network manages a visually and intellectually stimulating home page. Concerned about food and food sources? Look into Wholefoods.

    If you prefer to "think globally but act locally," what can be more local than the privacy of your own telephone? If you are like me, you enjoy chatting with friends and family worldwide -- elephants are, after all, highly social creatures who communicate over vast distances subsonically. There is even a way to support some important causes while engaging in pleasant conversation via that wondrous human invention, the telephone. Check out Working Assets. Visit the Working Assets home page for links to many other information-filled sites.

    If you would like to learn about elephants "up close and personal," consider a learning vacation with Earthwatch. Perhaps you do not care or cannot afford to trek to Zimbabwe -- which I can fully understand since Zimbabwe (along with several other south African countries) practices culling as a means of population control, i.e. the mass slaughter of an entire herd -- babies are sold to zoos and circuses, adults are "harvested" for hides. You can read up on the controversies surrounding culling by clicking here). Regardless of your travel plans, you might want to check out the link just to see a picture of some of my relatives in action!

    More New Sites, More Elephant Facts on the Way!

    Back to Jacqui's Home Page

    Brought to you by Piranku Teku
    Contact Piranku care of Jacqui Sadashige: sadashig@sas.upenn.edu

    Last Updated -- 11/15/99