I have been fascinated by elephants drinking. It sounds simple really: Aspirate water, fill the truck and blow it out into the mouth ! But how do THEY both blow and drink at the same time ? We humans cannot do that ! Water would go through our glottis and enter the lungs. I cannot find any information on that and the Smithsonian Zoo is not answering either.
I don't think the water is expulsed from the trunk by peristalsis either as the jet they can make is pretty high pressure
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf5.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/64ab157f-9b74-4b65-bbd2-cbcafde5e0b0_rw_1200.jpg?h=02ecca41c6999b070c7537e1edee2429)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/21ae97ad-b6a0-413c-ad92-e2352a66cde8_rw_1200.jpg?h=40cfe24d273185f8d6fb8b331733ff01)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/03855487-3e0c-4f6a-93e7-94626537c7af_rw_1200.jpg?h=9bb6be2da04418898c83e4a1bf4924db)
Synchronized drinking
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/c9bde457-a50d-427e-be0b-6a3b47bed6d8_rw_1200.jpg?h=693a92928333ed5f66bc6c5e8ffefd2e)
Some unavoidable spilling...
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/c10de0a1-8381-4f0b-b7f1-30642fb31529_rw_1200.jpg?h=32018c31c8b0386fb5137f1ee635cac2)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/ec0fd733-25fe-4b99-81ad-fcfd6efed856_rw_1200.jpg?h=b353ad6535c0797c4d9e9c464551aa90)
Don't step in my drink !
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf5.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/6bd731c2-3006-4d71-899d-d9f45172840d_rw_1200.jpg?h=541f9826d93c737550974fcf151a20f8)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/7c2ba3ee-acc8-40a3-84c4-904bcde9deda_rw_1200.jpg?h=c4dc908ec8904f9f32a66d5ff4e05ced)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/c11b8b54-320e-4884-8c19-cbafed4fafb3_rw_1200.jpg?h=cdb13d66cf856fad4c55790ec69c6994)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/afe4791a-4762-412c-9a0c-d57abf742290_rw_1200.jpg?h=8c835cae5a87ccb911353aec7e55ae58)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf2.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/31efc6de-e33c-44f6-b6ef-3ef15b7b998d_rw_1200.jpg?h=06859604ad0eb2b7e067bcd09412e176)
"Mom you got your drink, now I want mine !"
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf2.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/3cc59a6a-2e71-4d91-95f9-6b65c4614843_rw_1200.jpg?h=ade694cc630f2bcbbdeb13e8dd633933)
Now you know why baby elephants don't have tusk ! They would stab their mother !
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/8c45dbf1-0e9b-46ce-aa0d-ba5498d2f166_rw_1200.jpg?h=1e81ad341bd2f44046b9b92f1932ed32)
When the right breast is empty, go around mom...
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/4ea2dee4-6984-4d66-8d3d-8a09a8915273_rw_1200.jpg?h=6c973ab8641beb6f754d2bb682c37c3a)
... and drink the left breast !
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/9ff006e5-c780-47b3-a477-19cc04463ca1_rw_1200.jpg?h=531e02b64aae00f6854918eca1942d44)
Buuuurppp
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/c708f06a-90fd-4d3b-b628-5350f6b3fc43_rw_1200.jpg?h=9577b0d93176383fc1088122650b4b28)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/7042e676-f14f-4696-a4a4-1c2a3e8d07b7_rw_1200.jpg?h=b309f4d4c73947d12947a32f7b756f4d)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/e21ac976-817c-4458-a34e-05076356f154_rw_1200.jpg?h=082df1911adedb6502130cfed1ab907c)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/bb4e4817-3fc9-44ed-a4b1-424fe0b686ef_rw_1200.jpg?h=2d47714332c9300dccdffc5ec11f09a1)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/21c8caca-76ad-48a2-b2d3-4a93d18f31a8_rw_1200.jpg?h=d4398f5d329244998c16cd003871286e)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/1b2108dc-a205-4019-a80a-9978a14add25_rw_1200.jpg?h=f1c7e80af493929de1256f1055683551)
This female as a backward-growing tusk! Elephant birth defect !
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/b97ae8c7-c22b-4818-bcc6-730b36ac4d1e_rw_1200.jpg?h=d604a000db03a9d2b7f668b4f3aa2d63)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/7df52d65-00ad-43b8-be77-a242f39d885a_rw_1200.jpg?h=7cf733823048d962e627a0b5d494a22a)
Her left tusk seems less worn out, probably she did not find a useful way to use it !
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf4.myportfolio.com/c3db43b622526832dc2359d8b6bb24aa/51b51786-682e-49dc-a53c-5de451586082_rw_1200.jpg?h=c7914510f316f0472f8853c0a4c80fa7)
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