Elephant is the name given to the largest land mammal. It belongs to the group of proboscides, animals that have a proboscis-shaped nose and whose defenses, prolonging the incisor teeth, constitute ivory.
In Eastern culture, the elephant means prosperity, peace, strength and longevity.
There are only three species of elephant still alive: two African and one Asian. The African elephant is an endangered species. The great demand for ivory (one of the elephant's tusks) has caused the death of hundreds of elephants, slaughtered by cruel hunters who sell ivory at high prices. The ivory trade is illegal, however, trafficking has increased dramatically.
The African elephant has two species, one found in the forest and the other in the savannah. It has larger ears than the Asian and adapts to higher temperatures. The Asian elephant, only males have ivory. The white elephant is also part of the Asian species, a rare animal with strong symbolic value.
The expression "White elephant” is very old and probably originated in Thailand, when the king offered one of these sacred animals to someone at the court. The offer was a valuable gift to symbolize power and prosperity, but it was at the same time an inconvenience because it was very expensive to keep the huge animal treated according to the local culture.
Popularly, it came to designate “white elephant” any gift received that is not very useful and that takes work to maintain. The term is widely used in politics whose meaning refers to grandiose public works, with high cost, but without much benefit for the population.
