Who Carries More Body Fat….Humans or Elephants?

A new study finds your average elephant is probably in better shape than most humans. An international research team says, despite their massive size, zoo elephants actually carry less body fat than the average person. The team, led by Daniella Chusyd of Indiana University, first measured the amount of water in the elephants’ bodies. (* Easy enough!) They then subtracted that from their body mass to calculate each animal’s level of fat. They examined elephants from zoos around the U.S. and Canada for this study. What they found was the average male elephant carries slightly less fat (8.5%) than females (around 10%). In comparison, the average human carries between six and 31 percent body fat.
– They also tested elephant fitness by attaching an elephant-sized fitness tracker to their legs. The device measured how much walking each animal did each day. The results reveal, even in a zoo, elephants walk about the same distance daily distance as free-ranging elephants — up to 1.7 miles every hour. Crazy Right? Here’s the complete story from Study Finds.