The African Elephant is a truly amazing and unique sight to behold in the Kruger National Park. These Colossal mammals are the largest land animals on earth and are very tight when it comes to a family dynamic. The African Elephant is the only species of elephant found in the Kruger Park and is the largest of the few elephant species, which also include the Indian Elephant and the Bush Elephant.
The African Elephant is a large mammal that stands at 3.3m at the shoulder and can weigh up to 7 tonnes, with some even reaching 8 tonnes. These colossal mammals have a lifespan of 70 years. The African Elephant has a grey skin colour that can be stained depending on what kind of mud it was rolling in. Despite the elephant’s rugged and almost indestructible appearance, it has rather thin skin that is just hard enough to ward off general forms of damage like thorns, branches and sometimes claws. The African Elephant has a set of large tusks with bulls having very large tusks. Elephants have wide and flat, tree stump-like legs to help support its weight. One of the Elephant’s most iconic features is the long appendage from its face called its trunk.
An Elephants diet consists of mainly grass, shoots and bark. Elephants can consume up to 272kg of plant material each day. Elephants drink a lot of water, up to 200 litres of water in a single session. Elephants defecate up to 150kg every day. Elephants are not seasonal breeders and produce a single calf every 3 to 4 years. Elephants have a gestation period of 22 months and a new born calf weighs 100kg and are weaned fully between 18 to 24 months. Elephants are very attentive and caring mothers and most of the calves learn their behaviours by staying with their mothers for many years.
[/fusion_text][fusion_imageframe image_id=”2752|full” max_width=”” style_type=”” blur=”” stylecolor=”” hover_type=”none” bordersize=”” bordercolor=”” borderradius=”” align=”none” lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” lightbox_image_id=”” alt=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]https://www.kambakuriverlodge.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Kambaku1.jpg[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]When bulls are old enough they leave their parent groups to form bachelor groups that travel around in search of other female groups to mate with. Herds mostly contain female and their calves and are led by a much older matriarch. The solitary elephants you see wandering the Kruger are old bulls. Old bulls travel on their own for a majority of their lives. Elephants love their mud baths and can be seen a majority of the time rolling and enjoying their day in watering holes and mud baths to cool off from the heat.
Elephants perform a mock charge not to kill you but rather to ward you away. Elephants will start bashing trees, throw dust and trumpet to ward you off and chase you away. After these were ignored, they become more aggressive, shaking its head and opening its ears, flapping them. After these were also ignored, the elephant will start thrusting and charging when feeling very threatened, holding its head down and pinning its ears against its head.
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