Fluttershy's Nature Show

Twilight and Fluttershy walk across the open plain, the tall grass waving in front of them. "Tell me again why I need to wear this pendant?" Fluttershy fiddles with a choker around her neck.

"It's to protect you," answers Twilight. "We're going after elephants today. Normally, if they step on you, that's the end. This has an enchantment that will stretch you out if you're crushed. If they step on you with that, you would flatten, then quickly return to form with their next step."

"Wouldn't this be a spell a lot of soldiers use if it's so useful?"

"Good against war hammers and mauls, but swords and spears are way more common. This enchantment doesn't protect you from those. It's very niche."

"If you say so."

"Hey, I'm wearing one, too. It's an additional layer of protection. I'm only trying to keep you safe, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy nods in acceptance. "I've just never needed one of these before, that's all."

"And hopefully, you won't need it this time, either. Death by elephant isn't as common these days as it used to be, but it can still happen."

"Oh, come on, Twilight. The only way ponies die by elephant in this day and age is by having elephants trample their crops. Nopony is stepped on."

"What about that murder in the circus last year?"

"Not his fault. Ponies were throwing things at him and he fell over. And that was ruled a manslaughter."

"If he was so innocent, then why didn't we go see him, instead of coming all the way out here?"

"Because I don't like to see animals in chains and cages."

A trumpeting draws their attention as a small herd of elephants walks out from behind a cluster of trees, sinking about ankle-deep into the river. The largest one leads, missing his right tusk, where a large scar runs back near his ear.

"There they are," smiles Fluttershy. "Do let me know if they come too close." She turns to face the camera, standing between it and the elephants, but offset enough to let them be the focus of the shot. "Today, we'll be discussing elephants. They are the largest of the non-magical, non-flying land animals. While, yes, there are creatures that can grow to be larger than elephants in extraordinary circumstances, they either have the aid of magic, or the ability to fly. Sometimes both, like dragons."

The lead elephant comes closer, stopping off to pluck some fruit out of a tree. He and the rest of the herd watch, but stay back a bit, focusing on their grazing.

"As you just saw, elephants are more than capable of picking things out of trees with their trunk. Usually, this is relegated simply to fruit, but sometimes, if a monkey as harassing them, they can grab a stick, or even the monkey itself. That said, they are more likely to eat lower to the ground things; grasses and shrubs and the like. They do end up eating out of the trees when available, but they have a very wide dietary range.

"Much like a lot of really large creatures in the area, they have a symbiotic relationship with several species of bird. It's mostly facultative, as not all elephants have parasites latching onto them, but when they do, the birds of the area are very happy to aid in their cleaning. The birds have a free meal and a short ride, and the elephant is free of at least some parasites. You usually don't see this in circuses or parades because domesticated elephants tend to have veterinarians remove their parasites, or sometimes just prevent them altogether.

"Elephants have a few natural predators, but their excessive strength and size, coupled with their propensity to travel in herds, means that it's rare that a predator can take them down. A healthy adult elephant pitted against three healthy adult lions is still decent odds for the elephant winning the fight. It's usually the sick ones, the calves, and the injured that end up as food, especially when alone. Only then are they susceptible to lions, hyenas, crocodiles and all manner of other things."

As she speaks, the herd begins to approach, and Twilight signals for Fluttershy to turn around. The lead approaches first to look over her, nudging her shoulders with his trunk. She gently strokes his trunk to show that she means him and his herd no harm, and that she's friendly. He decides to trust her for now, leaning down to see her better. She responds by scratching him under his ears.

"Generally speaking, elephants are very gentle creatures, with a big focus on their family. They have simple group structures modeled after a gerontocracy, mixed with shared bloodlines. Basically, the oldest leads, and finding a mate can supplement herds, only to have them break apart when they become too big. Those broken pieces can then join other herds, which may then break apart again to join other herds. It can actually be super detrimental if the herds become too big, because they can eat an entire valley out in days, leaving the place barren. It's more beneficial to have them in smaller groups that just roam and migrate."

"You mentioned earlier that elephants can sometimes trample crops?"

"Yes, but there's a new development happening that helps to undercut this. A fair few farmers have started putting up beehives in the middle of their fields. Elephants are terrified of bees, and will not stay in an area if there are too many bees present. Bees are also good for pollinating the crops and also produce honey, which gives them a new product to sell. It's not as good for the elephants, though. Their safe environments are being cleared away for farmland, and that's caused them to become endangered. If we're not careful where we put our farms, we could be removed of all three remaining species of elephant. In a few years, unless we do something, the only place you'll be able to see an elephant is in captivity."

Twilight takes a tentative step back. "I didn't know it was quite so bad as that."

Fluttershy lowers her head. "I'm exaggerating a bit. It might not happen in our lifetime, but two hundred years from now, they may all be either extinct or exclusively bred in captivity. Not exactly a happy thought, but that's why we need to act fast. By which, I actually mean we should slow down, hold back our expansion a bit longer. We should spend some time outdoors, becoming more in tune with the world around us before it all ends up completely destroyed."