About half of the asian elephants in zoos were dead by age 19, compared with age 42 for their counterparts in the wild working for the myanma timber enterprise. Learn more about the african elephant, as well as the threats this species faces, what wwf is doing to protect its future, and how you can help. Behavior of female african elephants loxodonta africana. Elephants eat about 4 to 6 percent of their body weight in food per day. They cannot hide, and it takes many years for an elephant to grow and reproduce. Seven female african elephants were observed for 558 hours and 22 minutes for a period of one year.
He weighed about 24,000 pounds 10,886 kilograms and was feet 3. That means it is a great book with true facts, but it reads like a story. So asian elephants do not need wrinkled skin to trap moisture or large ears to fan their bodies. The international union for conservation of nature released a report in september 2016 that estimates africas elephant population at 415,000. Most captive elephants are taken from the wild, as they breed poorly in captivity. Students will compare this to the lives of elephants in captivity. They feel that elephants are too intelligent to be ordered around and to spend time chained up. The hamilton spectator illustrated with eyecatching color photography throughout, wild animals in captivity encourages young readers to think long and hard about zoos. Selective breeding of elephants is impractical due to their long reproductive cycle, so there are no domesticated breeds. The african elephant s back is swayed, and the highest point is at the top of the shoulders.
Elephant husbandry resource guide international elephant. Protected contact and positive reinforcement are cornerstones for working humanely and effectively with captive elephants. They can eat plants of any size, from grass to trees. African elephants in zoos threatened by obesity seeker. The african forest elephant rarely grows taller than 8 feet 2. It takes a long time to find and eat 300 pounds of food. The elephants digestive system isnt very efficient and only about 44% of what is eaten is actually processed, the rest being eliminated as waste. People hunt elephants mainly for their ivory tusks. Elephants consume grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. To celebrate these majestic creatures, daryl and sharna balfour embarked on a fouryear quest across the african continent to record and portray elephants in unspoiled places. The asian elephant is smaller than the african elephant. Practically every elephant in captivity was at first a wild animal born of wild parents, and reared in the forest. However, conservative estimates were that 23,000 african elephants were killed by poachers in 20 and less than 20% of the african elephant range was under formal protection.
Prevention and care of foot conditions in captive asian and african elephants. An elephant roaming free in the wild will walk up to 30 miles in a day making a fraction of an acre cruel confinement. Loss of habitat, human elephant conflict, and poaching for ivory and bushmeat are great threats to elephant populations. An elephant can actually hold in excess of 12 litres of water in its trunk.
African elephant, facts and photos national geographic. African elephants have much larger ears, which they flap to cool off. Elephants in zoos also suffer a range of health problems resulting from their captivity. The smaller, darker forest elephant, loxodonta africana cyclotis, is found in the equatorial forests of central and western africa.
Locallygrown grassbased hay duplicates the nutrients found in savannah grasses. Their keepers such as the mahout shown at right, feeding his elephant may give them cabbage, lettuce, sugar cane, apples, and bananas, as well as other fruits and vegetables. African elephant description, habitat, image, diet, and. An african elephant family group can average 810 individuals. There are around 34,000 54,000 asian elephants left in the wild while in captivity the figures are,000 16,000. There was also not a great deal of captive breeding because the elephants already present in zoos were. Baby elephants weigh approximately 200 pounds when born and the gestation period in elephants is almost two years. In the african species, both the male and female elephants have large visible tusks. Their diet depends on whats available in their habitat in a given season. Mastodons and elephants split about 25 million years ago, while mammoths split from the african elephant 7 million years ago and the asian elephant 2. They mostly eat barks and leaves which make up 70% of the elephants diet.
Primarily grazers, eating plant material from grasslands, scrub and forests form africa. The two species of elephants are the african elephants and the asian elephants. The asian elephant weighs about 12,000 pounds 5,500 kilograms and stands about 10 feet 3 meters tall. Feeding asian and african elephants elephas maximus and loxodonta africana in captivity article in international zoo yearbook 401 july 2006 with 1,7 reads how we measure reads. African elephant population african elephants are rated vulnerable by the iucn. The african elephant is undoubtedly the most magnificent and aweinspiring land animal on earth, embodying the very essence and wonder of the wilderness. Only three of 11 african elephant calves born in zoos since 1998 were still alive as of june 2003. African elephant african elephants can live up to 70 years. Because they live in such a complex society with everchanging groups, shortdistance and longdistance methods of communication are necessary both to maintain inter and intragroup relationships and to attract mates when it is time to breed. Elephant pregnancies are the longest of any mammals, a full 22 months.
Elephants graze vast tracts of land to find food in the wild. The elephant letters tells the moving story of billy and kani, two african elephants. African elephants the elephant sanctuary in tennessee. The off take of asian elephants from the wild was historically so great that elephant populations on the subcontinent of india were locally depleted. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads in more than a dozen categories. Most elephants dont get that large, but african bush elephants do grow larger than asian elephants. Out comes the water, right down the elephants throat. The aggregate weight of from thirtyfive to forty men of averabe build would be required to offset the total of 6000 pounds which, it is estimated, this elephant would register if placed on the. Suggested guidelines for captive elephant enrichment. Depending on species, elephants eat anything up to 350 lbs of plant matter on a daily basis and all elephants need to drink between 40 and 212 an adult male elephant liters of water a day, not including the water they use to bathe. African bush elephants and african forest elephants are less amenable to training. African elephants can be found scattered across subsaharan africa.
Adult elephants eat about 300 pounds of food a day. They use their strong tusks when feeding by pulling the bark from trees and also dig roots out of the ground. Other books and articles were borrowed from the college library and from the. In stark contrast to their natural tendency to roam several miles each. Basic elephant facts global sanctuary for elephants. Partly because of the campaign by animal rights activists against the keeping of lone or small numbers of african elephants in small enclosures. The african elephants back is swayed, and the highest point is at the top of the shoulders. The african elephant loxodonta is a genus comprising two living elephant species, the african bush elephant l. Unsurprisingly, an elephant so severely confined is likely to develop. Elephants use their four large teeth to chew the plants. The smaller african forest elephants inhabit semideciduous, moist rainforests. Their molars grow up to 30 cm in length and measure up to 10 cm in width.
Their diet is varied and includes grass, leaves, twigs, bark and fruit. Hunting habitsdiet the african forest elephant is a herbivore that eats seasonally, primarily fruits in the wet. African bush elephants live in a number of different ecosystems. Captive elephants suffer from chronic health problems, such as tuberculosis, arthritis, and foot abscesses, which nearly always lead to premature death. Smaller than the african savanna elephant, the forest elephant weighs around 5,950 lbs 2. African elephants are a keystone species, meaning they play a critical role in their ecosystem. The elephants trunk is a mass of over 30,000 muscles.
Its their main course, making up about 50% to 75% of the daily diet. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. Hay forms a major part of an elephants diet when it lives in a zoo, national park or with a mahout. Studies indicate that the african bush elephants feed on 307 different types of plants species. Hay forms a major part of an elephant s diet when it lives in a zoo, national park or with a mahout. Lions are hypercarnivores, which means their diet consists of more that 70% meat. Today, one third of the worlds asian elephantsnumbering roughly 15,000live in captivity. They will also disperse the seeds of few trees such as omphalocarpum spp. Wild animals in captivity by rob laidlaw, paperback. The smiling elephant tells a true story of the plight of elephants in captivity. They have grey skin and differ in the size of their ears and tusks, and in the shape and size of their skulls both species are listed as vulnerable species on the. But the elephant is a philosopher and when he learns it is useless to fight against his fate, he gives up the contest and straightway decides to make the best of the situation. Hunting habits diet the african forest elephant is a herbivore that eats seasonally, primarily fruits in the wet season and grasses and leaves in the dry season. All species have grayish to brown skin, with sparse, coarse body hair.
When he is first captured, he is a demon incarnate. The elephant is earths largest land animal, although the asian elephant is slightly smaller than its african cousin. Jul 24, 2019 elephant diet coloring page print the pdf. African elephants in captivity are packing on the pounds, and experts warn that the rise in obesity is contributing to infertility, which could be detrimental to. Sanctuary means providing a safe haven and natural habitat, dedicated solely to elephant wellbeing. Elephants in sanctuary deserve nothing less than individualized, wholeelephant care for life. African elephant facts for kids elephants african animals. The elephant s trunk is a mass of over 30,000 muscles. The african elephant population is estimated at around 470,000 individuals, however, numbers in the last century were estimated to be between 3 and 5 million. Grade school and high school students alike will find this challenging book a remarkable reference. As of 20, there has been an estimated 90 percent decline in the asian elephant population and a 75 percent decline in the african elephant population over the last 100 years. But hay is the mainstay of a captive elephants diet.
The elephants diet comprises a major portion of fruits. Elephant jungle sanctuary and people of the karen hilltribes have something of a symbiotic relationship, and it is only with their partnership and cooperation that we are able to offer a truly ethical elephant tourism experience, as well as protect the remaining elephant habitats and preserve the elephant population in thailand. Also known as ecosystem engineers, elephants shape their habitat in many ways. The elephant in captivity natural history magazine. In captivity, their mahout may give elephants lettuce, sugarcane, bananas and other fruits and vegetables. Historically, elephants have never bred well in captivity and, consequently, a continuous supply of elephants captured from the wild was needed to maintain or increase the captive stocks. Hay forms a major part of an elephants diet when it lives in a zoo. Elephants zoo captivity journal of african elephants.
Elephants in captivity are elephants kept in a confining area, such as a zoo, circus, or camp, where they are fed and cared for by humans and usually exhibited for entertainment or educational purposes. A teachers guide to fun and learning with elephants, live. The large african elephant at the new york zoological park. In the wild, african elephants have a life expectancy of 2541 years, but have been known to live up to 60 years of age.
When an elephant drinks, it sucks as much as 2 gallons 7. As debate over lammies continued imprisonment at the johannesburg zoo and the introduction of two more elephants as her companions intensifies, kashiefa ajam and karishma dipa asked experts on opposing sides about the value of zoos and keeping elephants in captivity. Aug 18, 2016 partly because of the campaign by animal rights activists against the keeping of lone or small numbers of african elephants in small enclosures. He describes the damage done when animals are unnaturally confined and moved to inhospitable climates, and compares the wild and captive lives of polar bears, orcas, elephants, and great apesthe four. A reading list of elephant books including young adults, fiction, nonfiction, and. The true story of three zoo elephants and their rescue from captivity rob laidlaw. Since african elephants live where the sun is usually blazing hot, they use their trunks to help them keep cool. Gr 58laidlaw presents a passionate, wellwritten, and wellresearched argument against the practices of most zoos around the world. Sixteen to eighteen hours, or nearly 80% of an elephants day is spent feeding. It is this sub species of african elephant, which is seen in the worlds zoos. Behavior of female african elephants loxodonta africana in captivity. Wild animals in captivity by rob laidlaw, paperback barnes. The african forest elephant loxodonta cyclotis feeds on a wide variety of leaves, barks, fruits, grass, and mineral lick.
Then it curls its trunk under, sticks the tip of its trunk into its mouth, and blows. Furthermore, attempts to breed in captivity have been largely unsuccessful. These book recommendations are for readers who love elephants and. African elephant facts for kids, pictures, diet, habitat. Learn more amazing facts about the african elephant with national geographic kids. Pellets a special supplement provides necessary vitamins and minerals to balance out the diet. The largest elephant on record was an adult male african elephant. Elephant facts the elephant sanctuary in tennessee. Animal rights organizations estimate there are 15,000 to 20,000 elephants in captivity worldwide. Below you will find our answers to some of the many questions that often are raised about the well being of elephants in zoos. These include foot infections, arthritis and obesity, among others. Of five asian elephants born in the 12 months preceding june 2003, three are already dead. Enriching our elephants in the zoo world, an important concept is something we call animal enrichment.
Each elephant eats about 10 pounds of pellets per day. Aug 31, 2018 african elephant population african elephants are rated vulnerable by the iucn. It is characterized by its highly dexterous trunk, long curved tusks, and massive ears. Water and vegetation are more plentiful in the jungle. African lions prefer to hunt large ungulates, including zebra, african buffalo, gemsbok, giraffe, and wildebeest.
Using our knowledge of wild elephants, we provide our asian elephants at the saint louis. It contains calcium and roughage, which aids digestion. The african elephant population that once showed promising signs of recovery, could be at risk due to the recent surge in poaching for the illegal ivory trade. Humane education involves imparting facts, as well as sensitizing students and. A study of elephant husbandry, training, breeding and calfrearing techniques which can be applied for use at perth zoo and other elephant holding facilities in the australian region john conroy 2006. The planets largest land mammal has a huge appetite that matches its enormous size. Canadian childrens book news laidlaw has done an admirable job. But hay is the mainstay of a captive elephant s diet. This is a fact that just doesnt sit very well with many people. African savanna elephants can live for 6070 years, though the expected lifespan of an african elephant in captivity is closer to 35 years. The purpose of this research was to ascertain the repertoire of behavior of female african elephants loxodonta africana in captivity.
They avoid very large elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus and very small hare, monkey, hyrax, dikdik prey, but will take domestic livestock. Over time, african elephants have hollowed out deep caverns in a volcano mountainside on the ugandan border, to obtain salt licks and minerals. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that elephants in captivity are more likely to become aggressive than those in the wild. Some are housed in zoos or research facilities, while others are held by private owners. Adult females and young travel in herds, while adult males generally travel alone or in groups of their own. The foundation for our expertise is decades of research and observations on the behavior of elephants under a broad range of situations in the wild together with significant experience with elephants in captivity.
Elephant range in both africa and asia falls within tropical and subtropical climatic zones. Not even wikipedia gets into the nittygritty of what plant species they are specifically eating 1. The asian elephants, which are the most endangered of the two species, fared worse than the african ones in zoos, the researchers found. Current estimates of total population size of african elephants are 300,000 500,000 animals. Books aside, thats about as much detail as you will get from most online sources. It means providing mental and physical stimulation for our animals opportunities for them to increase their activity, stimulate their brains, promote positive social interaction, and encourage natural behaviors. Bush elephant, loxodonta africana africana, inhabits grassy bushlands throughout eastern, central, and southern africa. They can be found in flood plains, savannas, montane forests, woodlands, and more. Behavior of female african elephants loxodonta africana in. The african elephant is an herbivore implying, it feeds on grass, roots bark and fruits. A combination of the upper lip and nose, an african elephants trunk is extremely versatile.
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