Which is the elephant’s closest relative?

You might think that the elephant‘s nearest relative would be another big lumbering animal of the African or Indian bush, but in fact its ‘nearest and dearest’ is a tiny creature called a rocky hyrax. Rock hyraxes live in rocky or wooded regions in parts of Asia and Africa. They couldn’t look less like an elephant, either, for they are very similar to hamsters in appearance. The reason why rock hyraxes and elephants are related is that both have hoof-like nails on the toes of their front feet.