African elephants boast the unparalleled accolade of being the largest land animals. So these elephant species are bigger but also wilder, more hairy and have bigger ears than their Asian counterparts.
Kenya's African elephants have weathered severe dry spells and poaching on a grand scale to record increases in their population which currently stands at well over 30,000.
An African elephant can live for as much as 70 years in natural settings and slightly longer in captivity. A grown elephant weighs between 5,000 to 14,000 lbs. with the males (called bulls) being considerably heavier than the females (referred to as cows).
An elephant cow has a long gestation period of approximately 22 months which is obviously the longest for any terrestrial mammal. Additionally, a cow will typically give birth to a single baby elephant (known as a calf) once each 2 to 4 years.
An elephant baby (called calf) is entirely dependent on its mother's milk for the first half year of its life. After that, tender shoots and grass blades represent part of its diet even though it continues to suckle till it is two or till a younger sibling is born.
Two critical parts of an elephant are its trunk and tusks. An elephant will use its trunk to speckle water or mud all over their body in order to cool its tough but delicate skin. Elephants also use their trunks for smelling, breathing, drinking and reaching for succulent tree branches and shoots.
African elephants use their tusks as weapons, to hold off their adversaries. Sadly however, one of the elephant's vital assets is also its best liability. As such, elephants have been poached to the brink of extinction and even though their population is slowly growing again in Kenya, they remain teetering on the brink of extinction. Therefore despite the indisputable fact that ivory trade is proscribed by international conventions, it continues to thrive in Kenya and several African states.
The best Kenya National Parks to experience African elephants are the Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park and the Tsavo National Parks.
Masai Mara State Reserve is the natural northward continuation of the Serengeti eco-system which covers northern Tanzania. Amboseli Countrywide Park offers fantasticl views of large elephant herds against the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro which is the tallest free standing mountain on earth. Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks are known for hosting the world's only known red elephants. You've got to book a safari to the Tsavo National Parks to behold this marvel to believe it!
Kenya's African elephants have weathered severe dry spells and poaching on a grand scale to record increases in their population which currently stands at well over 30,000.
An African elephant can live for as much as 70 years in natural settings and slightly longer in captivity. A grown elephant weighs between 5,000 to 14,000 lbs. with the males (called bulls) being considerably heavier than the females (referred to as cows).
An elephant cow has a long gestation period of approximately 22 months which is obviously the longest for any terrestrial mammal. Additionally, a cow will typically give birth to a single baby elephant (known as a calf) once each 2 to 4 years.
An elephant baby (called calf) is entirely dependent on its mother's milk for the first half year of its life. After that, tender shoots and grass blades represent part of its diet even though it continues to suckle till it is two or till a younger sibling is born.
Two critical parts of an elephant are its trunk and tusks. An elephant will use its trunk to speckle water or mud all over their body in order to cool its tough but delicate skin. Elephants also use their trunks for smelling, breathing, drinking and reaching for succulent tree branches and shoots.
African elephants use their tusks as weapons, to hold off their adversaries. Sadly however, one of the elephant's vital assets is also its best liability. As such, elephants have been poached to the brink of extinction and even though their population is slowly growing again in Kenya, they remain teetering on the brink of extinction. Therefore despite the indisputable fact that ivory trade is proscribed by international conventions, it continues to thrive in Kenya and several African states.
The best Kenya National Parks to experience African elephants are the Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park and the Tsavo National Parks.
Masai Mara State Reserve is the natural northward continuation of the Serengeti eco-system which covers northern Tanzania. Amboseli Countrywide Park offers fantasticl views of large elephant herds against the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro which is the tallest free standing mountain on earth. Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks are known for hosting the world's only known red elephants. You've got to book a safari to the Tsavo National Parks to behold this marvel to believe it!
About the Author:
Imani Kimatt lives and works in Kenya. She loves writing about a range of Kenya animals and offers information on the best Kenya national parks to experience Kenya's exotic wildlife.
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