African Bush elephants
African bush elephants are the largest land mammals in the wild, actually besides the lions they are the scariest animals if you come across them in the wild. These should not be confused with the African forest elephant that are small and live more in forests. The African bush elephants live in savannah grasslands across the East African region. Some of the national parks with elephants include but are not limited to: –
- Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Tarangire National Park
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Tsavo East National Park
- Maasai Mara National Reserve
- Amboseli National Park
- Tsavo West National Park
- Bandingilo National Park
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Kidepo National Park Uganda
- Samburu National Reserve
- Nairobi National Park
- Aberdare National Park
- Meru National Park
- Chyulu Hills
- Arabuko Sokoke National Reserve
- Saadani National Park
- Garamba National Park
These parks are spread out in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The African bush elephant is scientifically known as the Loxodonta Africana. These elephants are very social animals living in groups known as herds with females and young ones. Interesting bit is that these herds are female led hence the popular name “matriarchal herds”. These herds will usually have between 10 to 100 individuals; in cases where there are more individuals above 30, the bigger herd usually has smaller herds in it. The matriarchal herds are led by normally the oldest and one considered the strongest female in the group. The males’ African elephants on the other hand don’t really stay in groups but may form temporary bachelor groups for sometime as they keep wandering in close proxy with the female herd.
The elephants have very good memory, they will not forget a smell or a face, when they meet them, hence the saying that elephants are revengeful because if you harm them today and they meet you 20 years later they will still remember you and what you did and they can punish you for it.
The individuals in the herds will communicate using several sounds from rumbles, trumpets, groans and others. The elephants supplement these communications with body gestures especially with their trunks and tails.
These mammals have feelings, when you observe them, you will see them display emotions like sympathy and empathy, care and nurture. In times of loss they even mourn for the dead individuals.
In the wild the elephants live up to 60-80 years. They weigh between 2,268 and 6,350 kg and have a height of between 8 and 13 feet. Their ears radiate heat, that’s why they are large and can tap sound from far distances. The elephants use their tusks as weapons and tools depending on the circumstances.
These tusks are up to 91 kgs. Because these mammals are big one may think they eat a lot, but they actually eat like other wildlife. They have a specific eating time in the day, where they eat about 130 to 190 Kg of food and drink up to 30 or more gallons of water; matter of fact these elephants can go many days without water. The elephants are herbivores and they eat grass, leaves, fruits, bark and lush grass.
These huge mammals as big as they are considered vulnerable according to the IUCN red list which means their survival is threatened. And it is threatened because of things like humans encroaching on the elephant habitat, humans poaching the elephants and natural calamities among other things.
