African Bush Elephant Fact Sheet

Common Name: African Bush Elephant

Scientific Name: Loxodonta africana

Wild Status: Vulnerable

Habitat: Savannah, Desert

Country: Most African Countries

Shelter: Trees, bodies of water

Life Span: 70 years

Size: 11ft tall

Details

When you think "elephant", you most likely think of the African Bush Elephant. Enormous, intelligent, and endlessly fascinating, their displays of emotion and thought attracts us to them in a way few animals do. Known for their long trunks and heavy feet, elephants are intimidating creatures. However, their diet consists entirely of plants, eating roots, grass, leaves, and fruits wherever available. Despite their might, humans have become dangerous predators thanks to the advancement of hunting technology. The ivory in their tusks was once present in almost every piano but thanks to synthetic materials and plastics, real ivory key have become a rarity.

Cool Facts

• Distinct from the Asian Elephant and African Forest Elephant • Their trunks are extremely powerful and can lift over 400 pounds • This is especially helpful in handling their young, who can weigh 200 pounds at birth • Female elephants live in groups and take care of their young together. Once their sons reach maturity, they leave the family and usually live solitary lives • During mating season, males can be very aggressive, especially towards other males • African Bush Elephants have proven to be more difficult to domesticate than their Asian counterparts • Elephants have been around in various forms since prehistoric times.

Taxonomic Breakdown

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: Loxodonta Species: L. africana

Conservation & Helping

Poaching and hunting have made elephants a vulnerable species. Limited resources and manpower dampen attempts by African governments to protect these animals, who are often hunted for their husks and for sport.

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