Weighing over 5,000 kg and with only 4 teeth the elephant is amazing.
Elephants with their colossal stature combined with their gentle nature have forever struck our imagination. The African Elephant is today’s largest land mammal. Its size, ivory tusks, long trunk and pillar shaped legs are unique in the animal kingdom. A male can weigh from 4 to 6 tons (8 000 to 12 000 lbs) and can measure from 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) at the withers. A female can weigh from 3 to 4 tons (6 000 to 8 000 lbs) and can measure from 2,5 to 3,0 meters (8 to 10 feet) at the withers. This species can live between 60 to 70 years old. Like its name implies, the African Elephant is confined to the African continent, its distribution spreads from South Africa to the northern part, at the edge and south of the Sahara desert. It is found in varied habitats, from tropical forests to semi desert areas, open plains and mountains. Elephants live in groups, including females with kinship, as well as their young. The males live in small groups or are solitary and will go from one group to another looking for females in heat. Living in an environment where food is often scarce, elephants must go to great distances looking for food and water holes. The oldest female of a group, known as the matriarch, is dominant and has the main responsibility to guide the group to theses oasis. The diet includes a wide variety of plants, fruit, leaves, roots, buds and branches. A female will have only one young and the gestation period lasts 22 months! An adult has no predators, except for humans who will hunt it primarily for its ivory tusks. The African Elephant is an endangered species and is protected under strict regulations and ivory importation is illegal in most countries.
African Elephant Loxodonta africana
