A well-known and respected member of the Big Five, the adult male African elephant is the largest and heaviest of all land mammals. Undeniably, the glory and yet the downfall of this magnificent beast is the bulk and quality of the ivory in its tusks. The heaviest recorded pair weighed almost 200 kg, recorded from an animal from central Africa.
African elephants occur throughout south, east and west central Africa.
The forest elephant is significantly different from elephants of other regions, but only as regardsits smaller size and darker hide. The elephants of the Far East are decidedly different both in shape and temperament. The habitat tends to influence the behaviour and even the appearance of elephants. By far the largest proportion of elephants in southern Africa is found in bushveld country. The desert elephants of the arid Kaokoveld need just as much food and water to survive as other elephants.