There is so much more to African Bush Elephants than meets the eye. In this blog post, we will explore some fascinating facts about these beloved animals!
African bush elephants are some of the mightiest creatures on Earth. As the largest living terrestrial mammal, African bush elephants’ weight can reach up to 7 tons. As for African bush elephants’ size, they can grow to be over 13 feet tall. These commanding animals also have extraordinary social behavior, living in large organized groups led by a matriarch.
Where do African bush elephants live?
African bush elephants inhabit parts of Eastern and Southern Africa. African bush elephant habitats are often between savannas and woodlands where they can find plenty of vegetation to feed on. They also depend on permanent sources of water and often migrate huge distances in search of food and drinking holes.
What do African bush elephants eat?
African bush elephants are incredibly diverse eaters! While they can mow down grasses with ease, they also love the sweet taste of watermelons, apples, and bananas. They enjoy eating bark, twigs, and other plant materials as well as tree cultivars like acacia, which they feed on while up in the trees.
Shrubs round out their diet as these elephants can consume large amounts of them – even mixed in with mud – to stay hydrated in the hot African sun. It's clear that when it comes to food options African bush elephants have a wide variety to choose from!
African bush elephant threats and predators
African Bush Elephants are the largest land mammals in the world, so there aren’t many African bush elephant predators. Lions and hyenas are natural predators of the African bush elephant, but those aren’t the only threats African bush elephants face. Poaching is one of their primary obstacles, as they are targeted for their ivory tusks which can be sold in the illegal wildlife trade.
Other threats include loss of habitat due to agricultural and urban growth, as well as climate change which affects their access to food and water sources. Human-related causes like poaching and habitat destruction have been catastrophic for the African Bush Elephant's numbers and could potentially lead to extinction if not addressed soon enough.
How many African bush elephants are left?
African bush elephants are facing a concerning decline in their population due to habitat destruction and unsustainable poaching. Estimates suggest that as few as 400,000 African bush elephants remain, which is down drastically from a total of 1.3 million that was estimated only 10 years ago.
Luckily conservation efforts are underway and you can help by purchasing an elephant tracking bracelet from Fahlo. A portion of all proceeds is donated to Save the Elephants in Kenya, which specializes in elephant research and works to protect wild elephants. Your purchase will help fight ivory poaching, and secure a future for elephants in a rapidly changing world.