Kenya & Tanzania offer some of the top elephants watching experiences in Africa.
Elephants are part of the renowned #Big5 of the animal Kingdom which includes Leopard, Lion, Rhino & Buffalo.
✅THEY ARE THE WORLD’S LARGEST LAND ANIMAL:
The African elephant is the world’s largest land mammal – with males on average measuring up to 3m high and weighing up to 6 tonnes.
✅AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS:
The elephant’s temporal lobe (the area of the brain associated with memory) is larger and denser than that of people – hence the saying ‘elephants never forget’.
✅CALVES CAN STAND WITHIN 20 MINUTES OF BIRTH:
Amazingly, elephant calves are able to stand within 20 minutes of being born and can walk within 1 hour. After two days, they can keep up with the herd.
✅ELEPHANTS ARE CONSTANTLY EATING:
Elephants need up to 150kg of food per day – that’s around 375 tins of baked beans although half of this may leave the body undigested. They eat so much that they can spend up to three-quarters of their day eating.
✅THEY COMMUNICATE THROUGH VIBRATIONS:
Elephants communicate in a variety of ways – including sounds like trumpet calls (some sounds are too low for people to hear), body language, touch and scent. They can also communicate through seismic signals – sounds that create vibrations in the ground – which they may detect through their bones.
✅YOU CAN TELL THE TWO SPECIES APART BY THEIR EARS:
There are two species of elephant: African and Asian. The ears of African elephants are much larger than their cousins and are described as being shaped like the African continent, whereas the ears of Asian elephants are shaped like the Indian subcontinent.
✅THEIR TRUNKS HAVE MAD SKILLS:
Elephants have around 150,000 muscle units in their trunk.
Their trunks are perhaps the most sensitive organ found in any mammal – Asian elephants have been seen to pick up a peanut, shell it, blow the shell out and eat the nut.
Elephants use their trunks to suck up water to drink – it can contain up to 8 litres of water. They also use their trunks as a snorkel when swimming.
✅THEIR TUSKS ARE ACTUALLY TEETH:
Elephant tusks are actually enlarged incisor teeth which first appear when elephants are around 2 years old. Tusks continue growing throughout their lives.
Tusks are used to help with feeding – prising bark off trees or digging up roots – or as a defense when fighting.
But these beautiful tusks often cause elephants danger. They’re made from ivory; a much-desired object.
✅THEY’VE GOT THICK SKIN:
An elephant’s skin is 2.5cm thick in most places. The folds and wrinkles in their skin can retain up to 10 times more water than flat skin does, which helps to cool them down.
They keep their skin clean and protect themselves from sunburn by taking regular dust and mud baths.
✅MORE AFRICAN ELEPHANTS ARE BEING POACHED THAN ARE BEING BORN
Around 55 African elephants a day are being killed for their ivory tusks. This means more African elephants are now being poached than are being born.
BEST PLACES TO SEE LARGE HERDS OF ELEPHANTS IN EAST AFRICA:
KENYA:
✅David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust -Nairobi Kenya.
✅Tsavo East & West National Park- Kenya.
✅The Chyulu Hills -Kenya.
✅Amboseli National Park– Kenya.
✅Masai Mara Game Reserve-Kenya.
✅Samburu National Park -Kenya.
✅Lewa Wildlife Conservancy -Kenya.
✅Mt. Kenya National Park -Kenya.
NORTHERN TANZANIA SAFARI CIRCUIT:
✅Tarangire National Park
✅Ngorongoro Conservation Area
✅Serengeti National Park.
