An elephant’s tail can be as long as 1.3 m and is tipped by a series of very coarse, wire-like hairs. They have an extraordinary degree of control over tail movement and use them like a fly swat against insects. Just like a dog, when an elephant’s tail is swishing from side to side swatting away flies, it is happy. As soon as the tail goes stiff, normally held out to one side, it means that the elephant is anxious. At this point, it may even start to run from you, normally swivelling over its shoulder to keep an eye on you as it tries to get away.
