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| Elephants | |||
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| Physical characteristics | |||
| Skin color |
Blue, gray, pink, and red | ||
| Eye color |
Black, blue, gray, and green | ||
| Distinctions |
• Large ears | ||
| Sociocultural characteristics | |||
| Habitat |
Savanna | ||
| Dominions | |||
| Diet |
Leaves | ||
| Predators | |||
| Notable members |
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Elephants are a species of animal native to the Pride Lands. They feed on leaves and are preyed upon by hyenas.
History[]
Simba's presentation[]
Elephants attended the presentation of Simba at Pride Rock.[1] During the ceremony, Pumbaa broke wind, causing several elephants to collapse in a dead faint.[2]
Assisting Simba[]
When cub Simba and his best friend, Nala, resolved to escape their babysitter, Zazu, they employed the help of some elephants.[1]
Kiara's presentation[]
Elephants attended the presentation of Kiara at Pride Rock.[3]
Habitat disruption[]
When Makuu's float moved into Big Springs, they pushed out the hippopotamuses. This caused several animals to move into each other's habitats, including the elephants. However, after Kion convinced Makuu to leave Big Springs, the elephants returned to their original habitat.[4]
Aminifu's funeral[]
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Simba and Nala presided over the funeral of the elephant Aminifu in Kilio Valley. While giving his tribute to the herd, Simba accidentally said, "He had poop on him," instead of the standard elephantese tribute. Though Simba was horrified by his mistake, the elephants began to laugh, and Ma Tembo explained that her father had always used to have poop on him and that it had often been the cause of laughter. She added that it was nice to remember the good times.[5]
Kupatana[]
Several elephants attended the Kupatana celebration at Mizimu Grove. When a pack of jackals attacked, the elephants helped their fellow Pride Landers drive them out. Afterward, the gathered animals ate fallen baobab blossoms.[6]
Mtoto trains with the Lion Guard[]
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Mtoto trains with the Lion Guard.
Mtoto and his friends accidentally scared some Pride Landers while playing "Lion Guard." The real Lion Guard arrived on the scene and calmed the frightened Pride Landers. They then chastised the young ones for having scared others with their game. Afterwards, Beshte invited Mtoto to train with the Lion Guard, and he agreed excitedly. However, after Mtoto continually failed at the training exercises, Kion suggested he return home. While walking Mtoto home, Beshte encouraged him to keep pursuing his dream.
Later, Mtoto was playing with his friends when they got attacked by hyenas. Beshte rescued Mtoto, with some help from his fellow Lion Guard members, and Kion gave the young animals honorary Marks of the Guard.[7]
Elephant concert[]
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Simba traveled with his family to Mizimu Grove to attend Ma Tembo's herd's concert. Along the way, he fell into a sinkhole, and Nala and Kiara were forced to continue without him. After Simba escaped the sinkhole, he joined his family at Mizimu Grove, just as the concert finished. Simba apologized to Ma Tembo and her herd for having missed the concert. In order to make it up to them, he and his family performed "Hakuna Matata".[8]
Savannah Summit[]
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Ma Tembo attended the Savannah Summit as the elephant representative.[9]
Search for water[]
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Janja's clan attacks the elephants and the baboons.
During a dry season patrol, Ono informed the rest of the Lion Guard that Janja's clan was attacking Ma Tembo and her herd. The Lion Guard arrived on the scene and drove the hyenas away. Once the danger had been abated, Ma Tembo explained that the hyenas had been desperate because of the dry season. She went on that she was trying to find a new water source for her herd. Kion sympathized with her efforts and assured her that he knew how difficult it could be to be a new leader. Ma Tembo and her herd then departed to continue their search for water.
Later, Ono told Kion that Janja and his crew were at it again. This time, they were attacking the baboons who had started following Ma Tembo's herd. The Lion Guard arrived on the scene and directed the elephants into a rocky gorge. Kion then blasted the hyenas away with the Roar of the Elders.
The Pride Landers gather around the new water source.
With the hyenas gone, the baboons revealed that they were following Ma Tembo to the new water source. Ma Tembo resumed her search, while a concerned Kion decided to talk to his father, Simba.
As Ma Tembo's search continued, Rafiki's new apprentice, Makini, ordered the crowd of Pride Landers who were following her to be silent so she could hear. With the crowd finally silent, Ma Tembo at last heard and located a new water source, to everyone's relief.[10]
Chama's exile[]
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Ma Tembo agrees to give Chama one more chance to fit in with her herd.
One day, while Rafiki was training Makini, the mandrills were interrupted by a trio of young animals: Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha. Upon meeting Rafiki and Makini, the trio declared that they wanted to live with Rafiki at his tree. Though Rafiki was hesitant to accept them, he eventually gave in to their pleas and allowed them to stay.
Later, the Lion Guard traveled to Rafiki's tree, where they found Makini having a bug-eating competition with Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha. The team broke up the commotion, and Kion questioned the three young animals as to why they were not with their herds. The three admitted that they were outcasts, but Rafiki insisted that they must return to their families, for it was part of their duty to the Circle of Life. Seeing the importance of Rafiki's words, the three young animals agreed to return to their herds.
Chama reunites with Furaha and Mzaha.
While Beshte and Ono escorted Furaha back to his troop, Fuli brought Mzaha back to Bupu, and Kion and Bunga accompanied Chama back to his herd. In the face of Kion's request, Ma Tembo explained that Chama was a disruption to the other elephants. Kion encouraged Ma Tembo to give Chama another chance, and she begrudgingly agreed, only because it was he who had asked.
However, Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha were unable to fit in with their herds and met back up with one another. Together, they romped around the Pride Lands, playing together, until they decided to return to Rafiki's tree. There, they disrupted yet another lesson from Rafiki, who ordered them to return to their herds and leave Makini to her training. Reluctantly, the three agreed and left the mandrills to their work.
Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha rescue Rafiki and Makini from a fire.
Shortly afterward, sparks from a nearby fire began to drift across the savanna, igniting the grass beneath Rafiki's tree. Makini and Rafiki noticed the danger too late and found themselves trapped on a branch high above the fire. At that moment, Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha arrived and led the mandrills to safety. They then began to put out the fire themselves.
The Lion Guard arrived to save Rafiki and Makini, only to find that Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha were already battling the fire themselves. The Lion Guard joined in, and together, the two groups put out the fire. Rafiki thanked them profusely for their help and, as a token of thanks, offered Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha a home at his tree. The three were honored by Rafiki's offer but admitted that they had found a new home near Big Springs for their family.[11]
Ukumbusho Tradition[]
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Ma Tembo directs her herd in preparing for the Ukumbusho Tradition.
In Mizimu Grove, Ma Tembo directed her herd in preparing for the Ukumbusho Tradition, a celebration that honored the peace established between the elephants and lions of the Pride Lands so many seasons ago. In the midst of the preparation, Makini arrived to paint the elephants for the ceremony.
Under Ma Tembo's direction, the Lion Guard began practicing their lines. Before they could start, however, Ma Tembo pointed out that the Lion Guard was traditionally composed of lions only, to which Makini suggested that she paint each Lion Guard member to resemble a lion.
Ma Tembo participates in the Ukumbusho Tradition alongside Kion.
Later, Makini was painting sunbursts on the elephants' foreheads when she suddenly ran out of yellow paint. In a panic, she related to Ma Tembo how she had used all her paint on the Lion Guard, and Ma Tembo suggested that she collect more yellow fruit from the nearby forest. Makini did as she had been told, taking a clump of yellow flowers from a hive of bees.
That evening, Simba arrived alongside his family and pride. As the celebration began, the Lion Guard performed "May There Be Peace". After the song, Kion and Ma Tembo described how Askari, the first leader of the Lion Guard, had made peace with the elephants in order to keep the Circle of Life in balance.
The elephants panic when a horde of bees attacks the herd.
In the midst of the ceremony, a horde of bees suddenly attacked the elephants, chasing them from the grove. Kion ordered his team to chase down the elephants before they could hurt anyone, and they took off to halt the stampede. While chasing the herd, the Lion Guard ran into a group of elephants who had stopped being chased by the bees, and Kion, Fuli, and Ono pieced together that the bees were attracted to Makini's yellow paint.
The team continued chasing down the stampede, and Fuli told Mtoto to spray off his forehead paint. Mtoto did as he had been told, and the bees promptly flew away from him. Seeing Mtoto's success, the Lion Guard resolved to use the same trick on the other elephants.
The elephants participate in the Ukumbusho Tradition.
From above, Ono reported that the elephants were racing into Sehemu Pass, where they could get stuck between the rocks, but Kion declared that this was a good development. The Lion Guard gathered at the entrance of the pass, and when each elephant got stuck between the rocks, Mtoto sprayed their foreheads with dust, clearing away the paint and effectively warding off the bees.
Back at Mizimu Grove, Ma Tembo apologized to Simba for having panicked and explained that bee strings in the trunk could be very painful. Makini rushed over and apologized for having caused the chaos, to which Ma Tembo assured her that she had not known. When Makini volunteered to collect more yellow fruit for the paint, Kion suggested continuing the ceremony without any paint. Ma Tembo protested that it was difficult for elephants to break with tradition, but Simba told her that this could simply be a new tradition for the elephants of the Pride Lands. Ma Tembo agreed to the plan, and the Ukumbusho Tradition continued in a new vein.[12]
Christmas[]
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One day, Beshte asked Ma Tembo to participate in Bunga's Christmas celebration. Though she was hesitant, Mtoto expressed interest in the performance, and Ma Tembo acquiesced to Beshte's request, as elephants did love to perform.
Ma Tembo's herd performs in Bunga's Christmas celebration.
That night, Ma Tembo and her herd attended Bunga's rehearsal. Things went well until the next morning, when everyone was leaning toward abandoning the project. Before the animals could depart, Bunga desperately explained that the celebration was important to both him and his adoptive uncle, Timon. This prompted the Pride Landers to stay and keep practicing.
The next day, Ma Tembo and her herd performed "The Twelve Ways of Christmas" alongside the other Pride Landers.[13]
Fire at Kilio Valley[]
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The elephants defend against an Outlander attack.
One day, the Lion Guard struggled to put out a widespread brush fire in Kilio Valley. At first, the team believed the fire to have been put out, but then, embers began falling from the sky and reignited the valley. The Lion Guard promptly spread out, accepting help from several of Ma Tembo's herd members, while Ma Tembo led the rest of her herd out of the valley. However, she got cornered among the flames by Janja, Reirei, Kiburi, and their respective followers. Ono happened to overhear Janja's cackling and reported what was happening to Kion, who suspected Scar of having caused the trouble. He ordered his team to protect the elephants and thus leave Kilio Valley to the mercy of the fire.
Just in time, the Lion Guard arrived to protect the elephants from harm. The team quickly led Ma Tembo and her herd out of the blazing valley and away from the Outlanders. Once to safety, Ma Tembo mourned her herd's destroyed home. She looked to Kion for help in finding a temporary home, and he resolved to find them a temporary place to stay.
After multiple group leaders turn the elephants away, Ma Tembo resolves to lead her herd out of the Pride Lands.
First, Kion led the elephants to Ndefu Grove, the home of the galagos. At first, Laini was receptive to the elephants staying in her home, but once their heavy footsteps started making the ground shake and causing galagos to fall out of trees, she appealed to Kion to take them elsewhere. Kion made two more attempts to find the elephants a home - once with Twiga and her giraffes and again with Bupu and his sable antelope - but both appeals ended in the herd leaders refusing to put up with the elephants' behavior.
Frustrated, Kion ordered Bupu to be patient with the elephants until the Lion Guard could come up with another solution. He asked Ono for a report on Kilio Valley, only for the team to discover that Ma Tembo had been forcibly outed by Bupu. Kion approached the herd and assured Ma Tembo that he would find them a new home, but Ma Tembo insisted that they must leave the Pride Lands, as no one else wanted them.
Ma Tembo's herd helps extinguish a fire at Ndefu Grove.
Just then, Ono alerted Kion to a new fire that had broken out at Ndefu Grove. The Lion Guard rushed to the grove, where Laini begged them to save her galagos. Kion resolved to find help, while the rest of the Lion Guard stayed behind to combat the fire. Kion raced across the Pride Lands to where Ma Tembo and her herd were still en route to another kingdom. He explained the situation to her, and she agreed to help the galagos, as she considered the other Pride Landers her family. With Kion and Ma Tembo in the lead, the elephants arrived at Ndefu Grove, where they promptly put out the fire.
After the fire was put out, Laini thanked the elephants for their help and offered them a place in Ndefu Grove. Ma Tembo gratefully accepted Laini's offer but lamented the loss of Kilio Valley. Kion promised her that they would retake the elephants' home, to which Ma Tembo stated that while Kilio Valley was just land, the Pride Lands was home.[14]
Scar's attacks[]
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The Pride Landers arrive at Pride Rock for training.
After Scar's army carried out several attacks on the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard concluded that the Pride Landers must unite against the threat that the Outlanders posed. One day, they gathered together Bupu's herd, Laini's group, Ma Tembo's herd, and Mbeya's crash. At first, the elephants were honored to have been chosen for such a task, but their pride soon turned to confusion, as they noticed that other herds had been chosen as well.
Though the various factions of Pride Landers were tense, Kion worked to defuse the tension. He instructed the animals to race toward Bunga, but the event soon got out of hand, with the larger animals tripping over the galagos and ending up in a heap. Kion then got the idea to call Makuu the crocodile for help. Makuu begrudgingly agreed to train the Pride Landers, but his training proved too rigorous and ruthless for the other Pride Landers to master.
Ma Tembo's herd defends against the Army of Scar.
Later, after Makuu left the Pride Landers to their fate, the Army of Scar besieged his float, with Kiburi targeting Makuu. Ono witnessed the battle from above and reported his findings to Kion. Together, the Lion Guard and their Pride Lander allies stormed the watering hole and fought off the Army of Scar. After the fight, Makuu thanked the Pride Landers for their help and vowed to do the same for them, should the need ever arise.[15]
One day, at Mizimu Grove, Rafiki and Simba announced Makini's mpando mpaya, and Timon and Pumbaa performed "Tujiinue" for a crowd of Pride Landers. In the midst of the celebration, the Army of Scar attacked, and the Pride Landers rose up to defend themselves. However, the battle paused when Scar's spirit appeared in the flames and threatened to overtake the entirety of the Pride Lands. Frightened by Scar's unexpected appearance, the remaining Pride Landers, including Ma Tembo and her herd, fled Mizimu Grove.
Ma Tembo's herd deliberates over whether they should leave the Pride Lands.
Kion used the Roar of the Elders to defeat the Outlanders, while Simba deliberated what to do with Ma Tembo. Once the Lion Guard had calmed the Pride Landers and led them back to Mizimu Grove, Simba approached them and admitted that he had had knowledge of Scar's return for some time. Ma Tembo noted that she understood why he had kept it a secret. The herds deliberated whether they should leave the Pride Lands, and Simba told them to inform him of their decision the following morning at Pride Rock.
The next morning, Kion implored the Pride Landers to follow him to Mizimu Grove before they decided to leave the kingdom for good. The herds followed Kion to Mizimu Grove, where Makini's baobab tree seed had survived the fire. This inspired the Pride Landers to remain in the Pride Lands and work together to defeat Scar.[16]
Battle for the Pride Lands[]
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The elephants charge into battle alongside their fellow Pride Landers.
Over the seasons, Ma Tembo's herd helped drive out the Army of Scar whenever they tried to invade the Pride Lands. One day, the elephants gathered with their fellow Pride Landers at Pride Rock to train for an upcoming invasion of the Outlands. That night, they witnessed Scar's spirit appearing in the flames and threatening the gathered animals. Once Scar was gone, Ma Tembo expressed concern that he knew what the Pride Landers were planning, but Kion convinced her and the other Pride Landers to take heart.
The next morning, the elephants assembled with their fellow Pride Landers to invade the Outlands. They participated in the ensuing battle, which the Pride Landers ultimately won. Afterward, they watched as Jasiri was made the queen of the Outlands.[17]
Lion Guard's trip to the Tree of Life[]
Later, Ma Tembo's herd gathered with other Pride Landers at Pride Rock to bid farewell to the Lion Guard as they departed the Pride Lands for the Tree of Life.[17]
Kovu's exile[]
Many Pride Landers, including elephants, assisted in driving Kovu out of the Pride Lands following his exile.[3]
Battle of the Lion Guards[]
| “ | Imara: To prove who is strongest, Beshte and I will have to push a rock across Chakula Plains. Bunga: Pfft. Beshte could do that in his sleep. Imara: A rock with an elephant on it!
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After his trip to the Tree of Life, Beshte returned to Big Springs, where Ma Tembo's herd welcomed him back joyously.
Ma Tembo serves as a weight during the competition between the strongest members of the Lion Guards.
Later, Ma Tembo and Zito served as props for the Battle of the Lion Guards, a competition in which Kion's and Vitani's Lion Guards faced off to prove who deserved to protect the Pride Lands. For Beshte's contest, Ma Tembo and Zito each stood on a boulder, while Beshte and Imara pushed their rocks toward the finishing line. As the competition began, Beshte began pushing Ma Tembo's rock across the plains. However, Ma Tembo noticed that he was sunburning, so Beshte abandoned the contest to roll in some mud, which cost him the victory.
Later, the elephants witnessed the final mashindano between Kion and Vitani, and reacted with awe when Askari's spirit appeared in the sky and when Kion used the Roar of the Elders to lift Pride Rock.[18]
Kion's coronation[]
Several elephants attended Kion's wedding to Rani at the Tree of Life.[18]
Physical characteristics[]
An elephant is characterized by its large head; two flappy ears that cover its shoulders; a large and muscular trunk; two prominent tusks, which are well-developed in both sexes; a short neck; a large, barrel-like body; four long and heavy legs; and a relatively short tail. The animal is protected by a heavy but flexible layer of gray-brown skin, dotted with mostly undeveloped patches of hair and long, black hair at the tip of its tail. They can have black, blue, gray, or green eyes.[5]
Sociocultural characteristics[]
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Elephants are known to revere tradition and enjoy participating in traditional concerts and ceremonies.
Elephants feed on leaves and are preyed upon by hyenas, though it is rare for hyenas to risk attacking such large and deadly prey.[10] Elephants can be boisterous and loud, which sometimes disturbs other species. Hence, they typically live among their own kind and only reside alongside other species during dire circumstances.[14]
The elephants in the Pride Lands live in Kilio Valley, an area of rolling hills, trees, and mild stone ridges.[5] During each season, they perform their first concert at Mizimu Grove.[8] Additionally, they participate in the Ukumbusho Tradition, a celebration that commemorates peace between their species and lions. Elephants revere tradition and find it hard to break from the old ways.[12]
Notable elephants[]
Appearances[]
References[]
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