5 , Incredible Facts , About Elephants. In honor of World Elephant Day, here are five incredible facts you might not have known about elephants. . 1. , The tusks of an elephant continue to grow throughout the elephant’s entire life, with adult males' tusks growing about seven inches a year. 2. , The average lifespan of an elephant is 50 to 70 years, with the oldest elephant in the world reaching the age of 86. 3. , An elephant’s trunk is its most important limb, as it is strong enough to rip branches from a tree, yet sensitive enough to pick up a blade of grass. 4. , Female elephants have a structured social order and spend their entire lives with their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and daughters. 5. , Elephants are uniquely intelligent and able to display a range of emotions such as grief, compassion and self-awareness
