"ELEPHANT"

 
ABOUT TO CHARGE
ALERT ELEPHANT
TOWARDS THE RIVER
BULL ELEPHANT
HE WALKS
WILD ELEPHANT
     
RIVER ELEPHANTS
IN THE ACACIA
LIFE IS GOOD
      

INFORMATION ON: THE AFRICAN BUSH ELEPHANT

  • The African Bush Elephant can weigh up to 6.6 tons
  • Should height up to 4 metres
  • Sexual maturity in about 10 years
  • Gestation period: 22 months
  • Number of young: 1
  • Diet: grasses, foliage, shrubs, fruit, flowers and roots
  • Lives up to 60 years
  • The elephants ears are filled with blood vessels and this is fanned to cool the elephant down
  • The tusks are elongated upper incisor teeth
  • The mammary glands are situated on the chest rather than on the pelvic region which is unusual in mammals
  • An elephant has temporal glands above the eyes which swell and open, secreting a strong-smelling odour either in breeding season or when the elephant is stressed
  • Diet: grass, tree bark and foliage
  • In a drought they dig wells in dry river beds which benefit other animals
  • An elephant calf weights about 250lbs
  • Drinks about 40 gallons of water
  • They have huge grinding teeth which wear down and are replaced six times in a lifetime
  • Spends 18 hours a day feeding and consumes about 180kg food each day
  • Elephants walk at an average of 5km/h but can sprint up to 40km/h which is faster than humans
  • Communication is deep rumbles and growls which carry hundreds of metres in open country
  • The senior female in the group is called a matriarch and she leads the herd and is usually old and wise