African bush elephant

The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant that lives in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with fully grown males reaching an average shoulder height of about 3 to 3.4 metres (10 to 11 feet).

African bush elephants have a long, flexible trunk with two finger-like processes, large ears that help cool their bodies, and strong, curved tusks. Their skin is grey and wrinkled, which helps them stay cool.

These elephants live in many types of places such as forests, grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, and even areas where people farm. They eat mostly grasses, creepers, herbs, leaves, and bark. They travel in groups made up of females and their young, while adult males often live alone or with other males.

Since 2021, the African bush elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The biggest danger to them is losing their homes because of human activities.

Taxonomy and evolution

See also: African elephant § Taxonomy

In past centuries, scientists looked at elephant samples from many parts of Africa. They gave the elephants many names, but today all these names refer to the same species.

We now know that African elephants and Asian elephants split apart about 7.6 million years ago. African bush elephants and African forest elephants also became separate species at least 1.9 million years ago. The oldest fossils of African bush elephants come from Ethiopia and Kenya, and they are millions of years old.

Description

The African bush elephant has grey skin with only a few hairs. Its large ears cover its shoulders and can grow very big. These ears help cool the elephant’s body by flapping to create air currents.

African bush elephants are the largest land animals. Fully grown males stand about 3 metres tall and weigh around 6 tonnes. Females are smaller, about 2.6 metres tall and 3 tonnes. Their sturdy tusks curve forward, and they have a long trunk ending in two finger-like tips.

Distribution and habitat

The African bush elephant lives in sub-Saharan Africa, including countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, and South Africa. These elephants live in forests, grasslands, wetlands, and sometimes deserts.

In some places, like Kruger National Park, the number of these elephants is growing. In other areas, especially in East Africa, their numbers have gone down because of threats such as illegal hunting. Conservation efforts are helping, but elephants still face challenges as human populations grow.

Behaviour and ecology

Elephant families are led by a matriarch. They include adult females, their daughters, and young sons. These groups work together to find food and water, protect each other, and care for babies. Young male elephants leave their families between 10 and 19 years old. They may live alone or in groups with other males.

African bush elephants have special skin folds that help them stay cool in hot weather. They hold water and cool the elephants through evaporation. They eat grasses, leafy plants, and sometimes fruit. These elephants can eat up to 150 kg of food a day and drink around 180–230 litres of water daily.

Elephants use their trunks to greet each other and show affection. They make many sounds like rumbles, trumpets, and squeals to talk, especially over long distances.

During a period called musth, male elephants change in behavior and may become more aggressive. Females become ready to mate around age 11, and after mating, they carry their babies for about 22 months. New baby elephants are cared for closely by their mothers and other females in the group.

Adult elephants are generally safe from predators, but young elephants may be threatened by lions and hyenas, especially during tough times with little food.

Elephants are very intelligent animals. They show behaviors such as grief, learning, and cooperation, similar to humans and some other smart animals.

Threats

The African bush elephant faces big challenges that make it harder for them to survive. One big problem is losing their homes when land is changed for farms, buildings, and other human uses. This makes elephants and people come into conflict more often.

Poachers hunt elephants mainly for their tusks. This hunting has hurt elephant populations a lot, especially bulls. Because of this danger, some elephants are now born without tusks to stay safer.

Conservation

Both types of African elephants are protected by international law. Some countries have special programs to help people and elephants live together peacefully. Scientists found that sounds from African bees can scare elephants away from villages.

The African bush elephant is now considered endangered because its numbers have dropped a lot. Most of these elephants live outside protected areas. In 2016, there were about 415,000 African bush elephants in Africa. Botswana has the largest group of these elephants.

Cultural significance

In Africa, elephants have been important in human culture for a very long time. People valued their ivory tusks because they were worth a lot. In Kenya, the Maasai people think of elephants almost like family members. They call elephants Arkanjowe, meaning something very big and powerful. There is a Maasai story that says an elephant was formed when a woman turned around on her way to get married and changed into an elephant.

Long ago, people in North Africa drew elephants on rocks. One famous example is in Tadrart Acacus, a place recognized for its important history. There are also old paintings of elephants made by the San people in Namibia and South Africa, showing that they understood elephants very well and may have lived together peacefully for thousands of years.