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When
giving birth the mother is supported by other
females. These females help the mother caring
for her young during the early time of its life.
The young elephant is weaned after two years.
Elephants reach sexual maturity anywher from
seven to twelve years of age. African elephants
live for up to 70 years.
Most elephants are vegetarians. Their diet consists
of grass, but also branches, leaves, fruits,
buds and tubers. Elephants have bad digestive
systems so they must spend most of their time
searching for food and eating.
PREDATORS: Most elephants are too large to worry
about predators. But there are some animals
which might be dangerous to young elephants.
Those are Hyaenas, Crocodiles and Lions.
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Elephant
ivory was one used as a source of all kinds
of ornaments. In 1989 international laws against
"ivory-trading" were created to help declining
elephant populations recover. Another problem
is the overdevelopment of the areas inhabited
by African elephants. Elephants have to constantly
migrate in the search for food. If they meet
human settlements, conflicts will surely arise,
because they destroy fields while searching
for food. This conflict has become the most
important Elephant issue in recent years.
Some South African states are pursuing a policy
of loosening the laws against "ivory-trading".
They want to allow controlled hunting on African
elephants. Loosening the laws will also encourage
illegal hunting, because selling ivory would
be lucrative once again. Perhaps this would
mean the irreversible end of the elephant.
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