African Elephant - PG002

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

The largest living terrestrial mammal, the African elephant is gregarious by nature, with a social structure organized around females and calves. Each family unit usually contains about 10 individuals, although several family units may join together to form a "clan" consisting of 60-70 members led by a large female.

African elephants are massive, weighing up to 6,000 pounds are are 13 feet high at the shoulders. The legs are massive pillars. Soft pads at the bottom of the feet expand when weight is put upon them and permit the elephant to walk quietly on all kinds of surfaces.

It's head is ponderous but weighs less than expected because the skull is highly porous. The brain is small but heavily convoluted. It's eyes are surprisingly small for such a large animal and its eyesight is moderate. Two tusks on males are long curved modified incisors and are useful in coordination with the trunk to dig holes and to move heavy objects. The trunk of the elephant has more that 40,000 muscles, which make it extremely strong and yet delicate and sensitive. The tip of the trunk is highly sensitive and is used to pick up small things such as berries, and is used to touch other elephants for recognition. The trunk is used for breathing, sucking and blowing dust and water (for protection against sun, heat, and insects, and for drinking and bathing), and for conveying food to the mouth. Elephants love to bathe in pools and lakes to protect their skin.

Elephants have excellent hearing and communicate in many loud sounds as well as using very low frequency sounds to cover distance of a few miles. They use body language, touching, and trumpeting for communication.

Since elephants grow until their dying day, an elephants size is an indication of its age. They have a capacity to learn and remember, and stories abound about their ability to recall.

The tropical forest of Gabon are thought to support 61,000 to 62,000 elephants believed to be Africa's largest undisturbed population. Wildlife Conservation Society scientists are working in Gabon to set up protected areas for the preservation of the African Elephant. In 1997, WCS's project in Gabon, Africa was featured as a special edition of ABC's Prime Time Live.