Inhabiting small areas of India, Sri Lanka, China and Southeast Asia, Asian elephants are endangered due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction. They weigh up to 11,000 pounds and stand about 10 feet tall. As herbivores, they eat grasses, bark, roots, leaves and fruit and can consume from 220 to 660 pounds of food and up to 50 gallons of water daily. According to the zoo s web site information on Asian elephants, the highly social Asian elephant lives in family groups led by an experienced female, or matriarch. The group devotes three-quarters of its time searching for food and water.
Many female elephants remain within their family group for their entire lives.
Females reach sexual maturity between 8 and 13 years of age, and may bear a calf every 4 to 6 years. A female may give birth to 7 offspring during her life. Calves are raised by their mothers and by aunts - other females in the family group. Emily was born in Asia about 1964. She acts as a mom toward Ruth, who was born in Asia in 1958.