How to draw an animal that hasn’t been seen for centuries Because of Plinio “the Older” for centuries people thought that elephants are afraid of mice. This naturist – also convinced us that ostrich hides its head to avoid danger – lived in a time where elephants were very popular due to epic poems, even its images appeared in coins used in roman cities. The fall of Roman Empire meant that these gigantic animals didn’t cross by western Europa again, but they go on represented in bestiaries, bibles and other texts during the Middle Ages. However the medieval illustrators had not a clue about the real appearance of those terrible animals that won wars all over the world. For this reason the medieval elephant had the trunk like a trumpet, dog ears, legs and body of a horse and wild boar tusk.