Elephants

Elephants are termed the largest animals living on land. Three living species have been recognised: Asian elephant, African bush elephant, and African forest elephant. They are characterised by the following:
Elephants are scattered in savanna deserts and forests. They are herbivorous and always stay near water when accessible.

Females live in family groups that consist of one female with calves. The leader of the female group is known as a matriarch. Bulls tend to leave their family groups immediately they reach puberty. They communicate by smell, touch, sight, and sound. They also use infrared over long distances. They live up to 70 years in the wild. Asian and African bush elephants are listed as endangered, whereas African forest elephants are critically endangered, as listed by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Elephant’s biggest threat is the ivory trade, where they are poached for their tusks, habitat loss and destruction, and conflicts with the local communities. Elephants are considered the largest living terrestrial animals, with a skeleton made up of 325–351 bones.

African Elephants

These are members of the genus Loxodonta, which comprises two living elephant species: the smaller African forest elephant and the African bush elephant. These were mentioned on the IUCN Red List as endangered in 2021. They are threatened by fragmentation, habitat loss, and poaching for the illegal trade of ivory. African adult males are referred to as bulls, standing up to 13 feet tall and weighing about 6-7 tons. Females are smaller, measuring 8–9 feet.

Elephants, like other animals, communicate through vocalisation and infrared sound, which can be heard over long distances. They have strong bonds with their family groups and, in most cases, graze in the same locality. There have been so many conservation efforts as different agencies and organisations have been in place, for example, community-based organisations, anti-poaching initiatives, and educating the local communities surrounding the national parks about the importance of wildlife.