Mmastodon HealthHealth first seen 12 h ago, last 9 h ago, peak #1

Elephants Mine Kitum Cave Walls for Minerals

Original: 🐘 ICYMI: In the pitch-black chambers of # MountElgon 's # Kitum Cave, African # savannah # elephants use their tusks to

In Mount Elgon's Kitum Cave in Kenya, African savannah elephants use their tusks to scrape volcanic rock for sodium, calcium and magnesium. Generations of herds have hollowed out these deep mineral chambers, passing the unusual mining behaviour down through the herd. The story is being shared as a striking example of animal culture and adaptation.

Why now: People find the elephants' inherited mineral-mining behaviour remarkable wildlife news

African savannah elephantKitum CaveMount ElgonKenya

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Evidence

• 🐘 ICYMI: In the pitch-black chambers of # MountElgon 's # Kitum Cave, African # savannah # elephants use their tusks to scrape volcanic rock for # sodium , # calcium , and # magnesium . Generations of herds have hollowed out these deep mineral chambers, passing down an unusual… · tksst@fediscience.org · 6

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