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Elephants- enormous, intelligent, strong and sociable. A male African elephant can weigh up to 7.5 tons! They have long and flexible noses, large flapping ears, and loose, wrinkly skin.
There are two elephant species that are usually recognized: the African elephant and the Asian elephant.
- African elephants have large ears that are shaped like the continent of Africa, both males and females have visible tusks, their skin is very wrinkly. their back is swayed, and the end of their trunk works as if they have two fingers there to help them pick things up. African elephants are the largest mammals on land.
- Asian elephants have smaller ears, and one finger at the end of their trunk..
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Pix.by.PegiSue
Taken at: San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA
or San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Escondido,
At Woburn they keep their elephants active by teaching them skills to help with the management of their woodland.
Loxodonta africana
African elephants are the largest land animals in the world. They have the largest brains in the animal kingdom, they live about as long as humans, and the largest among them can top 15,000 pounds – more than four times the weight of the average car!
There are two distinct species of African elephant: the savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). The savannah elephant is found in central and eastern Africa south of the Sahara, living in varied habitat including marsh, savannah, woodlands, and semi-desert.
All five elephants at The Maryland Zoo are African elephants of the savannah type. In March 2007, the Zoo celebrated the first elephant birth in its 132-year history. “Samson,” a male calf, was born to “Felix,” one of 3 adult females in the Zoo’s herd. The others are “Dolly” and “Anna,” and “Tuffy” is the adult bull. You can see the elephants on exhibit in the Zoo’s African Journey area.
Elephants are family-oriented animals with complex social lives. Related females live together for life in herds and raise offspring together. All members of a herd defer to one leader, the oldest and wisest female in the family group, known as the matriarch. She leads the others to water and food, decides when to sleep and when to move, responds first to threats, and basically takes charge in every conceivable situation.
As male elephants reach adolescence, they strike out on a different path from their female relatives. They leave their birth herds. Young males often seek out other males their age and form close bonds. Younger males also may associate with older males in loose groups known as bachelor herds. While the social lives of both male and female elephants remain mysterious in many ways, and while there are still many questions to be answered, it appears that male elephants learn and practice how to “be male” while in the company of other males in bachelor herds.
Adult male elephants also are inclined instinctively to spend much of their time alone. This is especially true when a male elephant enters musth, a period of heightened aggression that paves the way for asserting dominance and competing successfully for females. All male elephants are in constant search of mates, but only those that assert their dominance over other males will win the right to breed.
Elephants require a tremendous amount of food to maintain their massive bodies. In a single day, one elephant may eat 300 pounds of vegetation, including grasses, roots, bark, leaves, and fruit, and drink 30 to 50 gallons of water. In order to find this much food and water, wild elephants are almost always on the move.
Elephants can communicate with each other over long distances through sound, including low-frequency infrasound that we can’t hear. Standing up close to an elephant making an infrasonic call, you might hear or feel a low rumble. Another elephant would be able to hear that infrasonic call up to 12 miles away! Elephants also communicate through touch, sight, smell, and chemical processing. Body language is highly developed in elephants. Their sense of smell is as exceptional as their sense of hearing, and they also exhibit long-term memory. They are extremely social animals that protect their weakest, help their injured, and seem to mourn their dead.
Female elephants reach sexual maturity at about age 10 but may not mate for several more years. When females come into estrus, they attract breeding bulls. Bulls of the highest rank will gain access to females and breed. After an exceptionally long pregnancy of about 22 months, a female will give birth to usually one calf, and very rarely to twins. She will nurse her offspring for about 4 years, usually until she gives birth again, but she will care for each offspring for many years more. Baby and juvenile elephants in a herd have the benefit of multiple caregivers, as all female relatives share in raising the young. In particular, young females take on the role of allomother, which is comparable to babysitter. They keep watch over the youngest elephants, help them, comfort them, play with them, and gain mothering experience all the while. Research has shown that elephant family groups with few or no allomothers suffer higher infant mortality than those with allomothers.
Maryland Zoo, Baltimore Md
Addo Elephant Park.
2010 South Africa Trains and Treasures tour
Copyright. To copy or use, email: geoff@geoffs-trains.com
Punnathurkotta or Punathur Palace, also known as Anakkotta or Anathavalam, largest elephant sanctuary in India, part of Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple, owned by Guruvayoor Dewasam Board, Govt. of Kerala.
Punnathurkotta or Punathur Palace is a fort and former palace. But the palace grounds are now used to house the elephants belonging to the Guruvayoor temple,and has been renamed Anakkotta (meaning "Elephant Fort"). This Elephant Camp is one of its kinds in the world and is considered to be one of the largest elephant sanctuaries housing around 60 elephants. The elephants are ritual offerings made by the devotees of Lord Guruvayurappa. This facility is also used to train the elephants to serve Lord Krishna as well as participate in many festivals that occur throughout the year. The compound also has a naalu kettu, a traditional rectangular home with a central courtyard, which belonged to the Punnathur Raja. It is also a training school for Papans (Mahout). This complex also contains a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Bhagavathy.
The rituals of Gajapooja (Worshipping Elephants) and Anayoottu (Feeding Elephants) are observed here, as an offering to Lord Ganesha.
Location: Guruvayoor, Thrissur District, Kerala State, India.
A close up view of elephant.
Elephant was in a shade and light was changing quite fast.Suddenly,i could realise a nice streak of light falling only on its side and no where.Sometimes,it is a blessing in disguise when a large mammal come too close while you are working with big lens..
File name: 08_06_000706
Title: Elephant & young - circus
Creator/Contributor: Jones, Leslie, 1886-1967 (photographer)
Date created: 1917 - 1934 (approximate)
Physical description: 1 negative : glass, black & white ; 4 x 5 in.
Genre: Glass negatives
Subjects: Elephants; Circus animals
Notes: Title from information provided by Leslie Jones or the Boston Public Library on the negative or negative sleeve.; Date supplied by cataloger.
Collection: Leslie Jones Collection
Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department
Rights: Copyright © Leslie Jones.
Preferred citation: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.