It is not simple to tame and bring up an elephant, he recognizes only one owner therefore in Southeast Asia and the African countries still boys who literally grow together with the wards begin to bring up elephant calves. Especially as life expectancy of an elephant is similar to human.
Mighty, stately, these animals are real mystery of the nature. Elephants have infallible memory and natural ear for music. They live families, to be exact societies where there are senior and junior representatives. Because of hunting for tusks of elephants these animals appeared on the verge of extinction and were included in the Red List as an endangered species.
Elephants are the largest mammals on the earth. They belong to group of hemipterous and live in the jungle, tropics and savannas of Africa and Southeast Asia.
Species of elephants
Distinguish 2 species of elephants: - African,
- the Indian. In turn these 2 views are divided into smaller subspecies. So, the African elephants, for example, are forest and savanna. The species of the Indian elephant consists only of one subspecies, otherwise he is called still an Asian elephant. On average elephants of both types live about 70 years, during life the female gives birth two-three elephant calves, bearing everyone up to 22 months. The pregnant female is protected by all herd, its the first is sent to a watering place, cases when the herd appeared from food to bring up future mother in droughty lean year are known.
Slaves
Speaking about that how many there live elephants, it is necessary to do the amendment on the fact that life expectancy depends on situation in herd and dwelling conditions. So, scientists found out that elephants live in bondage 3 times less than the fellows who were born and grew up in the conditions of the wild nature. Thus, the poor creatures placed in zoos and reserves hardly live up to 20 years. Also researches showed that elephants in bondage are subject to constant stresses, often are ill, lead an inactive life and promptly gain weight. 4,500 elephants of various subspecies participated in a research. As it turned out, the African elephants lived in national parks on average 17 years, their Indian relatives — 19 years. The elephants working at logging managed to live up to 42 years. Kenyan individuals who live on average 56 years were long-livers among slaves.
According to the estimates of scientists, elephants eat 16 of 24 hours a day vegetable food, carefully chewing it. Thus, in a day the elephants eat from 45 to 450 kg of food and use about 100-300 liters of water.
The elephants born in bondage live even less, than those which appeared in national parks at adult age. So, they live on average 15 years, at the same time among them the high mortality of elephant calves and infertility of females are widespread. Such small life expectancy is explained again by their way of life. If at liberty elephants live hierarchical families, actively move and carry out a certain social role, then in zoos and reserves they are deprived of it owing to what reasonable elephants are depressed, quite often refuse food.