Elephants mate when they are 14 or 15 years old. Courtship involves a display of affection between the male and female in which they caress each other with their trunks. A single calf, standing about 33 inches high and weighing approximately 250 pounds is born 22 months later. The calf is suckled for at least 2 years and remains in the family unit after the birth of its mother s next calf. A female usually gives birth about every 4 years and will often have two or three calves with her at the same time.
Females defend their young vigorously, charging any intruders.
The African elephant is now endangered. Hunting is banned, but poaching for ivory is still widespread. Gamekeepers are almost powerless against the sophisticated machine guns used by poachers. When water is scarce during the dry season, elephants will dig for water in the muddy bed of a river that has stopped flowing. Inc. Pagewise makes no representations about the content published on this site.