African Bush Elephant

The African bush elephant, also known as the African savanna elephant, is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is the largest living terrestrial animal, with fully grown bulls reaching an average shoulder height of about 3 to 3.4 metres and a body mass of 5.2 to 6.9 tonnes. It is characterized by a long prehensile trunk with two finger-like processes, a concave back, large heat-dissipating ears and sturdy, noticeably curved tusks. It lives in a variety of habitats, from forests and grasslands to wetlands and agricultural land, feeding mostly on grasses, leaves and bark, and is highly social, living in herds of related females and their young while adult bulls live alone or in small bachelor groups. Since 2021 it has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, threatened above all by habitat destruction and, in parts of its range, by poaching for meat and ivory.