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Tuskless Kenyatta, a 39 year old bull,
crosses the Ewaso Nyiro
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Euphrates from
the Rivers Family
A new calf is born in
the Royals Family
Roosevelt,
a 36 year old bull
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Samburu
National Reserve offers shelter to 66 known elephant family
units numbering 750 elephants in total. These 66 families,
which typically consist of a martriarch and her offspring,
are assigned to one of three groups: "residents," the "migrants,"
and the "sporadics." As the names suggest, the residents
remain in Samburu for most of each year, the migrants move
between Samburu and other areas, and sporadics are more random
visitors.
Each
elephant family is named, and each elephant within that family
is named accordingly. For example, Rosemary, Basil, and Sage
belong to the Spice Girls family (residents),
while Queen Elizabeth, Cleopatra, and Anastasia belong to the
Royals family (migrants).
In
addition to the residents, migrants, and sporadics are the "bulls,"
the adult males who live in solitude.
Some
Intersesting Facts about Elephants
- Females
have a square or pointed forehead, slim tusks, and two breasts
between her forelegs
- The
bulls are taller, thick and heavy, with a rounded forehead
- In
addition to the features above, the ears of the elephants
(size, shape, and nicks) aide in identification
- The
lifespan of an elephant is about 60 years
- Females
reach puberty at 10-13 years
- Gestation
in the females is 22 months (about 660 days), and they usually
give birth to single calves - twins are rare
- Female
elephants will have from 5 to 10 calves in her lifetime, with
4-6 years between each birth
- While
males reach puberty at 12-14 years, they only experience their
first full "musth" at near 30 years of age, and
it is unlikley they will mate with a female at the height
of her oestrus period prior to then.
- The
suckling period for calves is 24 to 48 months
- MAN
is the ONLY predator of adult elephants (unprotected calves
can be felled by lions)
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