Stair Masters They're Not

African (savannah) elephants avoid climbing even small, vegetation-covered hills, scientists for Save the Elephants and Oxford report, according to CBC News. (Link)

Elephants burn much energy climbing, making an upward trek for food counter-productive.

""While in addition to slope there may be other important reasons for the elephants' general avoidance of climbing this hill - such as overheating, risk of injury, lack of water or unsuitability of forage -— we suggest that energetic considerations could be one of the main factors," the study's authors wrote in the journal" ("Current Biology").

Sloped terrain, therefore, might prove to be a strong indicator for elephant movement patterns and land use, this study would suggest. Much effort is going into determining just that (elephant movement and land use), as with the North Carolina Zoo and Zoo Society "Elephants of Cameroon" studies led by NC Zoo lead veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis.