Inc. All rights reserved. They stand 10 to 13 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 5.5 to 7 tons. They live in complex social groups led by the oldest female and cooperate in raising the young. At The Oakland Zoo, our four elephants each eat 100 - 250 pounds of concentrated food per day. They are fed oat hay, alfalfa, grains, vegetables, fruit, grasses and branches with leaves and bark.
African elephants can survive in the forest, bush or savanna of Africa.
In hot environments, elephants lower body temperature by flapping their ears which contain large blood vessels. They also splash mud and dust on their bodies to ward off the hot sun and insects. Although African elephants are wonderful survivors, they are endangered. Elephants, formerly widespread in Africa, are now found primarily in parks and reserves.