The African elephant is the largest of all of the living land mammals. It is also one of the most powerful, yet gentle creatures who live in peaceful family units. Every member of the family unit is related. When an elephant in the family dies, the other elephants in the herd will actually grieve over the loss. They will bury their dead with twigs and leaves, and will stay by the grave for hours mourning their loss.
Male elephants live in separate herds.
Adult male elephants are called bulls, and they like to live alone. They will only join a family to mate. Elephants begin mating when they are 14 or 15 years old. It takes 22 months before the calf will be born, and usually the cow only gives birth to one baby. The baby typically weighs in at 250 pounds and is about 33 inches high at birth, just about knee-high to its mother.