Elephant handout

Population: Today, there are an estimated 450,000 - 700,000 African elephants and between 35,000 - 40,000 wild Asian elephants.

Handout Glog

Safari Animals

Behavior: Elephants form deep family bonds and live in tight matriarchal family groups of related females called a herd. The herd is led by the oldest and often largest female in the herd, called a matriarch. Herds consist of 8-100 individuals depending on terrain and family size. When a calf is born, it is raised and protected by the whole matriarchal herd. Males leave the family unit between the ages of 12-15 and may lead solitary lives or live temporarily with other males.

ELEPHANTS

Diet: Grasses, leaves, bamboo, bark, roots. Elephants are also known to eat crops like banana and sugarcane which are grown by farmers. Adult elephants eat 300-400 lbs of food per day.

Fast Facts:Height: 5-14 ft at shoulders (males); females of all subspecies are smaller than males.Length: Up to 30 ft trunk to tail.Weight: 6,000-15,000 lbs (males). Lifespan Up to 70 years