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African Elephant Facts & Pictures
The African Elephant is the world’s largest land mammal - weighing
in at up to 6300kg and reaching a shoulder height of 3.2 to 4 metres.
Elephants border jumping the Zambezi river into Zambia

Hwange
Park

Front paw Print 500mm
using mathematics it's possible to measure the height
of an elephant from it's paw print and we aren't going to tell
you witch one and how - for that you will just have to go on a
safari
in Africa
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Description
Both male and female African elephants have large tusks which
are actually upper incisor teeth that can reach 2 metres
The massive tusks of older bulls can weigh up to 50 or 60 kilograms,
but tusks weighing up to 90 kilograms have been recorded.
Of its specialized features, the muscular trunk - serves as a
nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device and a tool for
gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, digging and a variety
of other functions.
The Elephant’s trunk is 2 meters long and can weigh up
to 130 kg. It is extremely sensitive allowing him to detect underground
water. The sensitive finger-like appendages at the tip of the
trunk enables them to pick the smallest twig or flower.
It comprises 40 000 to 100 00 muscles capable of holding 6 litters
of water which it can squirt into its mouth for drinking or bathing.
An elephants hearing and smell are excellent but eyesight is
moderate and best in dim light. Its large ears serve as a display
function and also in cooling the body. |
Apart
from drinking large quantities of water elephants love wading
or swimming in it and really enjoy a good mud bath.
Elephants
in Chobe
River
Elephants are also known as "gentle giants" and in
the main they are peaceful animals, but when wounded, sick or
in defence of their young - elephants are very very dangerous |
Characteristics
The flapping action of their ears when charging is thought to
be merely a cooling action as the stress of the moment causes
them to become overheated.
The advantage of this is that it helps them to look even more
larger and fearsome to their enemies.
the only mammal with a life span comparable to humans.
active by day and night, and will rest up in the shade during
the heat of the day.
Tusks erupt at 16 months but do not show externally until 30
months. Once weaned, usually at age 4 or 5, the calf still remains
in the maternal group |

At birth, an elephant calf weighs 118kg and is able to walk under
its mothers belly for the first year.
When danger threatens or when alarmed, elephants emit an ear-splitting
blast.
They also make low frequency calls of distances up to 7 km's.
Loud as they might be, they are too low for humans to detect. |
Social Behaviour
Elephants are generally gregarious and form family groups consisting
of an older matriarch and female offspring, along with their young
The female family groups are often visited by mature males checking
for females in estrous. Several interrelated family groups may
inhabit an area and know each other well. When they meet at watering
holes and feeding places, they greet each other affectionately
Bulls leave the family unit at puberty when they are about 16
years old and join bachelor groups or move about alone and only
briefly join female herds again for mating purposes
The sexes are difficult to recognise but males have a rounded
head and females a squarer head. If viewing herds with youngsters
then these are female herds and should be treated with caution
and the utmost respect.
Smell is the most highly developed sense, but their main means
of communication is through sound.
They use deep growling or rumbling noises and it is now thought
that each individual has it's own "signature" growl by
which it can be distinguished. |
Breeding
African Elephants generally produce one calf every three to four
years after a gestation period of about 22 months
An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family's
lactating females or suckled by various females.
Females are very attentive mothers, and because most elephant
behavior has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them
for many years |

Carien who is the general manager of Flame of Africa with elephants
at Victoria falls |
Feeding - Diet
Elephants are voracious feeders and can spend up to 16 - 18 hours
a day consuming grass, tender shoots and bark from trees.
An adult elephant can drink up to 200 litres of water in a single
session.
All this eating and drinking means that a single elephant deposits
upwards of 150kg of dung every day - about one dollop every 15
minutes!
Fertilizing and spreading tree species |
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activities at best possible prices - to the most extensive
wildlife show on earth
We are specialists in the area with a ground operator in Victoria Falls
Special
discounted tour packages for Southern Africa
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