The reason why it's unethical to feed elephants is interacting with and trying to feed elephants can be dangerous.
When you see elephants you should stay away from them and observe them at a distance and if you're in a jeep tour or vehicle you should never attempt to touch the elephant or other animals that are wild animals.
Feeding wild animals including wild elephants also habituates them to people which contributes to human wildlife conflict.
The reason you should not touch elephants is that it can pose health risks and at least 12 diseases are also known to spread from elephants to humans.
You also should not touch elephants that don't know you as they may turn aggressive and get defensive but if they know you and trust you then sometimes some elephants enjoy being touched and petted but never try to touch or pet a wild elephant as it can be dangerous.
Elephants do enjoy being petted and enjoy physical touch and infection, from people that they know and trust.
Although elephants don't usually enjoy being petted or touched by people they don't know.
You should always respect an elephants boundaries and understand that not all elephants are receptive to being touched or petted by humans but if they know you and trust you they can enjoy being petted and touched.
Elephants do sometimes befriend humans and can and do bond with humans in certain situations, especially in captivity.
The bonds between humans and elephants can be seen in situations in which the elephants have been raised by humans or when the elephants have had extended positive experiences and interactions with them, like in rescue and rehabilitation centers or even in certain working relationships.
Elephants are also pretty social animals and also show a capacity for forming strong relationships with both their own kind as well as with humans that they trust.
Elephants also recognize humans through scent, voice and even appearance and they can also distinguish between individuals.
And in cases of strong bonds, elephants also can show affection, loyalty and even seek out their human companions for support and comfort.
Elephants also have very impressive long term memories, that allows them to maintain relationships with humans over extended periods.
Some evidence of elephants bonding with humans are elephants that have been observed to seek out humans for help, remembering the past interactions and even sharing significant life events such as birth with their human companions.
Elephants are smarter than dogs as elephants demonstrate a broader range of cognitive abilities than dogs, including self awareness, tool use and even complex social structures.
Dogs are also smart and are known for their trainability and social intelligence but elephants are still more intelligent than dogs.
Elephants can also recognize themselves in mirrors, which is a trait that is shared by only a few other animals, which indicates a level of self awareness.
Elephants have also been observed using tools, like sticks to scratch themselves or even as levers to reach food with.
Elephants also live in matriarchal societies with intricate social bonds, that demonstrates empathy, cooperation and an ability to recognize and remember individuals.
Elephants also have exceptional memories, which are also crucial for navigating migration routes and finding of water sources, especially during droughts.
Elephants are also capable of cooperative problem solving and can learn complex tasks and they also demonstrate remarkable adaptability to different environments and situations, which includes adapting to human presence and elephants have also been observed mourning their dead and showing an understanding of loss and death and they are also able to communicate through a variety of different vocalizations, body language and even infrasound, which can travel long distances.
Bees are what elephants fear the most.
Elephants fear bees so much that they actually have a special alarm call to warn the herd of elephants about bees.
Elephants are also very vulnerable to bee stings, especially around their eyes and their trunks and they can also recognize the sounds and even the pheromones which are chemical signals of bees that cause them to flee.
It's also a misconception that elephants are afraid of mice, but in reality elephants don't fear mice.
While elephants may react to the sudden movements of a mouse, the elephant is not actually afraid of the mice and instead it's just a startled reaction that is due to surprise and not fear.
Elephants are often grey in color, although an elephants color can also vary from light grey in color to a grayish-black color.
And some African elephants might even appear to be brown or reddish after they roll in the mud.
And Asian elephants will often have patches of depigmentation, especially on their head.
Elephants are mainly known for their grey skin, but like mentioned above they can vary in color.
African elephants are more a dull, brownish-grey color.
Asian elephants are predominantly grey in color, but they can also have the patches of depigmentation which most particularly is on the head of the elephant but can also appear on the elephants ears and trunk.
Elephants often also take mud baths and roll in mud, which can also change the elephants apparent color.
And African elephants, in particular, may also appear to be reddish or brown after they wallow in the colored mud.
Elephants are also covered in sparse, bristly hairs, which can also affect the elephants overall appearance.
And the specific shade of grey color of elephants can also vary depending on the individual elephant and their environment.