
Common name: Elephant
Scientific name: Loxodonta
Distribution: Africa, Asia
Common name: Elephant
Scientific name: Loxodonta
Distribution: Africa, Asia
Elephants are a keystone species – they have a significant impact on their environment and play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity.
Elephants are the largest living land-based mammal and can weigh between 3,000 to 5,000 kg with a body length of over 6 metres. They have distinctive long noses known as a trunk and large ears.
There are three commonly recognized species of elephants: the Asian elephant, the African savannah elephant and the African forest elephant. Within Asian elephants there three sub-species – Indian elephants, Ceylon elephants and Sumatran elephants.
There are approximately 38,000 – 52,000 Asian elephants in the wild with the Africa elephant population estimated to be at least 472,269 individuals, including 58% in Southern Africa.
Elephants are some of the most socially-developed mammals in the world and arrange themselves into complex social structures based on mother- calf units. They can live up to 70 years in the wild, however their lifespan in captivity is generally shorter.
Elephants are highly intelligent and have substantial cognitive ability. They can develop post-traumatic stress disorders, similar to those seen in humans, when held in captivity and faced with traumatic experiences such as separation from their mothers or cruel training.
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