Elephants

Elephants are a species of animal native to the Pride Lands.
==Physical characteristics==
An elephant is characterized by its large head; two large 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.
==Sociocultural characteristics==
The elephants in the Pride Lands live in Kilio Valley, which is a valley with rolling hills, trees, and mild stone ridges. During each season, they go to Mizimu Grove to perform their first concert. Additionally, they participate in the Ukumbusho Tradition, a celebration that commemorates peace between their species and lions.
==History==
===The Lion King===
Elephants attend Simba's presentation. Later, Zazu mentions elephants during his morning report. Elephants also appear during the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" musical sequence. Afterward, Simba and Nala visit an Elephant Graveyard, which has the bones and decayed skin of elephants. In the "Hakuna Matata" scene, during Pumbaa's flashback, an elephant runs from Pumbaa's flatulence. At the end of the film, elephants attend the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.
===The Lion King II: Simba's Pride===
Elephants attend Kiara's presentation. During the "We Are One" musical sequence, a herd of elephants are seen as Simba and Kiara look over the Pride Lands. Later on, elephants gather around Pride Rock and participate in exiling Kovu during the "One of Us" musical sequence.
===The Lion King 1½===
When Pumbaa releases his flatulence at Simba's presentation, several elephants faint. During Timon and Pumbaa's peaceful morning, Timon hears the animals singing "I Just Can't Wait to Be King". Disturbed by their singing, Timon uses his stick to hit an elephant's leg, which ends up collapsing the animal tower.
===The Lion Guard===
===="The Rise of Makuu"====
When Makuu's float moves into Big Springs, they push out the hippopotamuses. This causes several animals to move into each other's habitats, including the elephants. However, after Kion gets Makuu to leave Big Springs, the elephants return to their original habitat.
===="Can't Wait to be Queen"====
Simba and Nala preside over the funeral of Aminifu. Simba gives his tribute to the elephants, but instead of saying, "He had good on him," the standard elephantese tribute, he says, "He had poop on him." Though Simba is horrified at this turn of events, the elephants begin to laugh, and Aminifu's daughter, Ma Tembo, explains that her father always used to have poop on him and that it was often the cause of laughter. She then tells Simba that it is good to remember the fun times.
===="The Kupatana Celebration"====
Several elephants attend the Kupatana celebration. When the jackals attack, the elephants help the other Pride Landers drive them out. Afterward, the gathered animals eat fallen baobab blossoms.
===="Follow that Hippo!"====
Mtoto and his friends accidentally scare some Pride Landers while playing "Lion Guard." The Lion Guard arrives and calms the situation, revealing the misunderstanding. Afterward, Beshte invites Mtoto to train with the Lion Guard, but Mtoto continually fails, prompting Kion to ask him to leave. Beshte walks Mtoto home and encourages him to keep pursuing his dream. Later, Mtoto is playing with his friends when they are attacked by hyenas. The Lion Guard helps Mtoto escape.
===="Bunga and the King"====
Simba travels with his family to Mizimu Grove to attend Ma Tembo's herd's concert. However, along the way, Simba falls into a sinkhole. After Simba escapes, he along with Kion, Bunga, Timon, Pumbaa, and the rest of the Lion Guard arrives at Mizimu Grove just as the concert finishes. Simba apologizes to Ma Tembo and her herd for missing the concert and, to make up for it, sings "Hakuna Matata" with his family, Bunga, the Lion Guard, Timon, and Pumbaa.
===="The Savannah Summit"====
Ma Tembo attends the Savannah Summit to represent the elephants.
====The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar====
In the Pride Lands, the dry season has started, and the Lion Guard is busier than ever. During their patrol, Ono informs his friends that Janja's clan is attacking Ma Tembo and her herd. The Lion Guard arrives at the scene, and, sure enough, Janja and his crew are attacking the elephants.
The team drives the hyenas away, and Ma Tembo explains that the hyenas had been desperate because of the dry season. She also tells them that she is trying to find a new water source for her herd. Kion sympathizes with Ma Tembo and assures her that he knows how difficult it can be to be a new leader. Ma Tembo and her herd then depart to continue the search for water.
Later, Ono tells Kion that Janja and his crew are at it again. This time, they're attacking the baboons who have started following Ma Tembo's herd. The Lion Guard arrives and have the elephants go into a rocky gorge. Kion then blasts the hyenas away with the Roar of the Elders.
With the hyenas gone, the baboons reveal that they are following Ma Tembo to a new water source. Ma Tembo resumes her search for a new water source while a concerned Kion decides to talk to his father.
Later, Rafiki's new apprentice, Makini, orders the crowd of Pride Landers to be silent so Ma Tembo can hear, and Ma Tembo at last hears and locates a new water source, much to everyone's relief.
===="Rafiki's New Neighbors"====
In the Pride Lands, Rafiki teaches his young apprentice, Makini, to draw paintings. In the midst of their lesson, the mandrills are interrupted by a trio of young animals: Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha, who declare that they want to live with Rafiki at his tree. Though Rafiki is hesitant to accept them, he eventually gives in to their pleas and allows them to stay.
Later, with Rafiki in the lead, the Lion Guard ventures to Rafiki's tree, where they find Makini having a bug-eating competition with Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha. The team breaks up the commotion, and Kion questions the three young animals as to why they are not with their herds. The three admit that they are outcasts, but Rafiki insists that they must return to their families, for it is part of their duty to the Circle of Life. Seeing the importance of Rafiki's words, the three young animals agree to return to their herds.
Beshte and Ono escort Furaha back to his troop, Fuli brings Mzaha back to Bupu, and Kion and Bunga accompany Chama back to his herd, where the herd's leader, Ma Tembo, explains that Chama is a disruption to the other elephants. Kion encourages Ma Tembo to give Chama another chance, and she begrudgingly agrees.
However, Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha are unable to fit in with their herds and meet up away from their respective kinds. They romp around the Pride Lands, playing together, until they decide to return to Rafiki's tree. There, they disrupt yet another lesson from Rafiki, who orders them to return to their herds and leave Makini to her training. Reluctantly, the three agree and leave the mandrills to their work.
Presently, sparks from a nearby fire begin to drift across the savanna, igniting the grass beneath Rafiki's tree. Makini and Rafiki notice the danger too late and find themselves trapped on a branch high above the fire. Before the Lion Guard can reach Rafiki's tree, however, Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha arrive and lead the mandrills to safety. They then begin to put out the fire themselves.
The Lion Guard takes off to save Makini and Rafiki, only to find that Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha are battling the fire themselves. The Lion Guard joins in, and together, the two groups put out the fire. Rafiki thanks them profusely for their help and, as a token of thanks, offers Chama, Furaha, and Mzaha a home at his tree. The three are honored by Rafiki's offer, but admit that they have found a new home near Big Springs for their family.
===="The Ukumbusho Tradition"====
In Mizimu Grove, Ma Tembo directs her herd in preparing for the Ukumbusho Tradition, a celebration that honors the peace established between the elephants and lions of the Pride Lands. In the midst of the preparation, Makini arrives to help paint the elephants for the ceremony.
Under Ma Tembo's direction, the Lion Guard begins practicing their lines. Just then, Timon and Pumbaa arrive to help the Lion Guard with their lines. However, before they can start, Ma Tembo points out that the Lion Guard is traditionally composed of lions only, which prompts Makini to suggest that she paint each Lion Guard member to resemble a lion.
Later, Makini is painting sunbursts on the elephants' foreheads when she suddenly runs out of yellow paint. In a panic, she relates to Ma Tembo how she had used all her paint on the Lion Guard, and Ma Tembo suggests that she collect more yellow fruit from the nearby forest. Makini does as she is told, clearing a hive of bees from a clump of yellow flowers in order to bring the plants before the elephants.
Presently, Simba arrives with his mate, Nala, and daughter, Kiara, as well as the lionesses of his pride. The Lion Guard begins to sing "May There Be Peace", in which they commemorate the peace established between the elephants and lions of the Pride Lands. After the song, Kion and Ma Tembo describe 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.
However, in the midst of the ceremony, a horde of bees attacks the elephants, chasing them from the grove. Kion orders his team to chase down the elephants before they can hurt anyone, and the Lion Guard takes off to halt the stampede.
Just then, the Lion Guard runs into a group of elephants that have stopped being chased by the bees, and Kion, Fuli, and Ono piece together that the bees are attracted to Makini's yellow paint. The team continues chasing down the stampede, and Fuli catches up to Mtoto, suggesting that he try to spray at the paint. Mtoto does as he is told, and the paint disappears, prompting the bees to fly away. Seeing Mtoto's success, the Lion Guard resolves to use the same trick on the other elephants.
From above, Ono reports that the elephants are racing into Sehemu Pass, where they could get stuck between the rocks, but Kion declares that this is a good development. The Lion Guard then gathers at the entrance of the pass, and when each elephant gets stuck, Mtoto sprays their foreheads with dust, clearing away the paint and effectively warding off the bees.
Back at Mizimu Grove, Ma Tembo apologizes to Simba for panicking and explains that bee strings in the trunk can be very painful. Makini rushes over and apologizes for causing the chaos, to which Ma Tembo assures her that she had not known. When Makini volunteers to collect more yellow fruit for the paint, Kion suggests continuing the ceremony without any paint. Ma Tembo protests that it is difficult for elephants to break with tradition, but Simba tells her that this could simply be a new tradition for the elephants of the Pride Lands. Ma Tembo then agrees to the new plan, and the Ukumbusho Tradition continues in a new vein.
===="Timon and Pumbaa's Christmas"====
Bunga asks Ma Tembo to involve her herd in his Christmas celebration. Though she is hesitant, Mtoto expresses interest in the performance, which ultimately persuades Ma Tembo to acquiesce to the Lion Guard's wishes.
That night, Ma Tembo and her herd attend Bunga's rehearsal. Things go well until the next morning, when everyone is leaning towards abandoning the project. Before the animals can depart, however, Bunga desperately explains the importance of the performance to himself and Timon, which prompts Ma Tembo to change her mind.
The next day, Ma Tembo and her herd perform during the musical sequence "The Twelve Ways of Christmas".
===="The Kilio Valley Fire"====
In Kilio Valley, the Lion Guard struggles to put out a widespread brush fire. At first, the team believes the fire to be put out, but then embers begin falling from the sky, reigniting the valley. The Lion Guard spreads out, accepting help from several of Ma Tembo's herd members, while Ma Tembo leads the rest of the herd out of the valley. However, she is cornered among the flames by Janja, Reirei, Kiburi, and their respective followers.
Ono overhears Janja's cackling and reports what he's heard to Kion, who suspects Scar of causing the trouble. He then orders his team to protect the elephants, leaving Kilio Valley to the mercy of the fire.
Just in time, the Lion Guard arrives to protect the elephants. The Lion Guard then leads Ma Tembo and her herd out of the blazing valley. Once to safety, Ma Tembo mourns her destroyed home. Ma Tembo turns to Kion for help in finding a temporary home, and he resolves to help the elephants.
Kion leads the elephants to Ndefu Grove, the home of the galagos. At first, Laini is receptive to the elephants staying in her home, but once their heavy plods start making the ground shake and causing galagos to fall out of trees, she appeals to Kion to take them elsewhere. Kion makes two more attempts to find the elephants a home - once with the Twiga and her giraffes and again with Bupu and his sable antelope - but both end in the herd leaders refusing to put up with the elephants' behavior.
Frustrated, Kion orders Bupu to be patient with the elephants until the Lion Guard can come up with another solution. He then asks Ono for a report on Kilio Valley. The Lion Guard discovers that Ma Tembo has been forcibly outed by Bupu. Kion approaches the herd and assures Ma Tembo that he will find them a new home, but Ma Tembo insists that they must leave the Pride Lands, as no one else wants them.
Just then, Ono alerts Kion to a new fire that has broken out at Ndefu Grove. The Lion Guard rushes to the grove, where Laini begs them to save her galagos. Kion resolves to find help, while the rest of the Lion Guard stays behind to combat the fire.
Kion races across the Pride Lands to where Ma Tembo and her herd are still en route to another kingdom. He explains the situation to her, and she agrees to help the galagos, as she considers the other Pride Landers her family. With Kion and Ma Tembo in the lead, the elephants arrive in Ndefu Grove, where they promptly put out the fire.
After the fire is put out, Laini thanks the elephants for their help and offers them a place in Ndefu Grove. Ma Tembo gratefully accepts, but laments the loss of Kilio Valley. Kion promises her that they will retake her home, to which Ma Tembo states that while Kilio Valley is just land, the Pride Lands is home.
===="Pride Landers Unite!"====
The Lion Guard concludes that the Pride Landers must unite against the threat of the Outlanders. They gather together Bupu's herd, Laini's group, Ma Tembo's herd, and Mbeya's crash ("Pride Landers Unite!").
At first, the Pride Landers are tense, but Kion works to defuse the tension. He instructs the animals to race toward Bunga. However, the event soon gets out of hand, for the animals trip over the galagos and end up in a heap. Kion then gets the idea to call Makuu the crocodile for help. Makuu begrudgingly agrees to help, but his training is too rigorous and ruthless for the other Pride Landers to master.
The Army of Scar besieges Makuu's float, with Kiburi targeting Makuu. Ono witnesses the battle and reports his findings to Kion. Together, the Lion Guard and their Pride Lander allies storm the watering hole and fight off the Army of Scar.
After the fight, Makuu thanks Ma Tembo and her herd for help and vows to do the same for them should the need ever arise.
===="The Fall of Mizimu Grove"====
At Mizimu Grove, Rafiki and Simba announce Makini's mpando mpaya, and Timon and Pumbaa perform their song ("Tujiinue"). In the midst of the celebration, the Army of Scar attacks, and the Pride Landers rise up to defend themselves. The battle pauses when Scar appears in the flames and threatens to overtake the entirety of the Pride Lands. Frightened by Scar's unexpected appearance, the remaining Pride Landers, including Ma Tembo and her herd, flee Mizimu Grove.
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to defeat the Outlanders, while Simba deliberates what to do with Ma Tembo. Simba then approaches the Pride Landers once the Lion Guard has calmed them and admits that he has had knowledge of Scar's return for some time. Ma Tembo notes that she understands why he'd kept it a secret. The herds deliberate whether they should leave the Pride Lands, and Simba tells them to inform him of their decision the following morning at Pride Rock.
At Pride Rock, Kion implores Ma Tembo and her herd to follow him to Mizimu Grove before they decide to leave the kingdom. The herds follow Kion to Pride Rock, where Makini's baobab tree seed has survived the fire. This inspires the Pride Landers to remain in the kingdom and work together to defeat Scar.
===="Battle for the Pride Lands"====
Ma Tembo's herd helps drive out the Army of Scar when they try to invade the Pride Lands. Later, the elephants gather with their fellow Pride Landers at Pride Rock to train for coming battles with the army. They witness Scar's spirit appearing in the flames. Afterward, Ma Tembo expresses concern that Scar knows what the Pride Landers are planning, but Kion convinces the Pride Landers to keep heart.
The next morning, the elephants assemble with the Pride Landers to invade the Outlands. They participate in the battle, which the Pride Landers ultimately win. Afterward, they watch as Jasiri is made the queen of the Outlands.
Later, Ma Tembo's herd gathers with other Pride Landers at Pride Rock to bid farewell to the Lion Guard, who are departing for the Tree of Life.
===="Return to the Pride Lands"====
When Beshte returns to Big Springs from his journey to the Tree of Life, Ma Tembo's herd arrives to welcome him back.
Later, Ma Tembo and Zito serve as props for the Battle of the Lion Guards, in which Kion's and Vitani's Lion Guards face off; each stands on a boulder while the contestants for the strongest member of the Lion Guard, Beshte and Imara, push their rock toward the finishing line. The competition begins, and Beshte begins pushing Ma Tembo's rock across the plains. However, Ma Tembo notices that he is sunburning, so Beshte abandons the contest to roll in some mud, costing him the victory.
Later, the elephants witness the final mashindano between Kion and Vitani, and react with awe when Askari's spirit appears in the sky and when Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to lift Pride Rock.
Several elephants attend Kion's wedding to Rani at the Tree of Life.
==Notable elephants==
* Aminifu
* Chama
* Johari
* Ma Tembo
* Mtoto
* Mtoto's mother
* Zigo
* Zito
==Appearances==
Category:Canon articles
Category:Species