20 elephant memes so we can finally talk about the elephant in the room

María Cetra • Writer

Sep 8, 2026 5:00 PM EDT

Elephant in the room? Elephant in the room!

I don't think a normal person knows a lot about elephants. We know that it is a big mammal with a gigantic trunk that helps them grab things to eat, and we think they eat peanuts –based solely on what animation studios have shown us in TV shows and movies. But is that all? Are we doomed to know nothing about these amazing-looking animals? Not anymore. I put together a list of facts and some memes, so we can all learn a bit more about these creatures.

Let's start with the peanuts thing. Is that even true? Where does it come from? Elephants do not love peanuts. That's just a popular belief. They are herbivores, so they mostly eat vegetables, greens, roots, etc. They will most probably eat a peanut if given one. But it's not something they would normally eat in the wild, nor something they love. This myth originated in circuses and zoo's, this places used to sell cheap bags of peanuts to visitors so they could throw them at the elephants. They encouraged the idea that it was their favorite food so they would sell more, and then cartoons and media replicated it, making it a popular belief.

Nowadays, circuses don't have animals, and zoos are really different from what they used to be. So if all that has changed, let's change our knowledge also. Elephants don't love peanuts. They are not their favorite food. Let's debunk that old myth and start to tell the truth. Elephants' favorite food is vegetation, grass, roots, that kind of thing. It's actually not even good for them to eat peanuts. So let's stop the misinterpretations and spread out the true facts. Being misinformed can actually cause these animals health issues, as peanuts have too much protein, and making them eat that can alter their diet. So let's make the idea of being informed a trend. Knowledge is key.