Photos by brentstirton | The key to the future of Asian elephants is understanding their behavior and evolving our responses. 1. Two male elephants intertwine trunks in what is thought to be a bonding ritual. Touch is an important part of acceptance and friendship for elephants. 2. Wild elephants graze on the slopes of a tea estate in Valparai, India. The estate in elephant territory was cleared in the 1800s with no thought for the animals. Today the elephants are still there, and when they appear, the workers leave. 3. An elephant walks solo on the beach in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Rangers say he does this regularly, often in the moonlight. 4. Elephant calves learn by imitation; here they’re mastering the art of throwing soil over their bodies. The dirt protects their skin from sun and insects. 5. A distressed female elephant visits a baby that died days earlier. At first touch, she backed off, but then she lingered. It was only when another juvenile elephant touched h...