Maybe because they can be such gentle giants, unless agitated (:
Why is an elephant a favourite animal?
I just like the little nick-nacks shaped like elephants and other antique stuff. But my favorite animals are hamsters, monkeys, and dogs.
Many are fascinated with the elephant's trunk. Consider: Weighing some 300 pounds (140 kg), the elephant’s trunk has been called “the most versatile and useful appendage on the planet.” The multipurpose tool can serve as a nose, a straw, an arm, or a hand. With it, the elephant can breathe, smell, drink, grab, or even trumpet a deafening blast!
But that is not all. The elephant’s trunk has some 40,000 muscle fibers that allow it to move in any direction. Using the tip of its trunk, the elephant can pick up a small coin. At the same time, the elephant can use its trunk to lift loads of up to some 600 pounds (270 kg)!
Researchers hope that imitating the dexterous properties of the elephant’s trunk will help them develop superior robots for both domestic and industrial use.