African Elephant Facts: 13 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know
The African elephant is more than just the biggest land animal in the world—it’s a highly intelligent, emotional, and vital part of Africa’s ecosystem. Whether you’re planning a safari or simply love wildlife, these facts will give you a whole new appreciation for this magnificent creature.
African bush elephants can weigh up to 6,000 kilograms and stand around 3 meters tall at the shoulder. Even their calves weigh about 100 kilograms at birth. Their sheer bulk isn’t just impressive—it helps protect them from predators and makes them the literal giants of the savanna.
The largest elephant ever to be found was in Angola. His weight was about 24,000 pounds (10,886 kg) and he was 13 feet (3.96 meters) tall at the shoulder!
2. Two species, two homes
There are actually two distinct African elephant species: the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant. Bush elephants roam the open plains, while the smaller, rounder-eared forest elephants live in dense, tropical rainforests. Want to learn where you might spot both in the wild? Check out our guide to where to see the Big Five in Africa.
3. Ears shaped like Africa—and they help beat the heat
An African elephant’s ears are roughly shaped like the continent itself, and they serve an important purpose. Packed with blood vessels, the ears act like radiators, releasing heat when flapped. It’s a built-in cooling system—essential when you’re a six-ton mammal in the blazing African sun.
Did you know that?
Elephants use their ears to communicate? They are trying to intimidate and show dominance by spreading their ears wide open!
4. Their skin is tough, but surprisingly sensitive
Elephant skin is up to 2.5 cm thick but still highly sensitive. They can feel a fly land on them. That’s why they love rolling in mud—it cools them down, protects them from the sun, and keeps biting insects at bay. We wrote more about this behavior in our post on camping among wild elephants in Africa, where we saw it firsthand.
5. Trunks with over 40,000 muscles
With around 40,000 muscles, an elephant’s trunk is one of the most versatile tools in nature. It’s used to drink, eat, sniff, explore, communicate, and even to play. On our travels, we’ve seen elephants gently pick up a feather—or rip branches off a tree in one swoop.
Research has shown that the elephants’ tusks have been getting smaller over a century ago, they are now about half the size. So, evolution seems to kick in to protect these magnificent animals against humankind, but this is not an ideal situation for the elephants themselves!
6. Musth: male elephants in overdrive
Male elephants experience a state called musth, during which their testosterone levels skyrocket. This phase can make them more aggressive and unpredictable as they search for females, as we experienced in Pongola game reserve– lol. During musth, males release a thick fluid from glands behind their eyes and rub it down their legs. It’s intense—but entirely natural.
African male elephants separate themselves from the herd, only to join the females to mate when they are in musth.
7. Gentle giants with quiet steps
Despite their size, elephants are incredibly quiet walkers. Their padded feet soften each step, allowing them to move through the bush almost silently. It’s no surprise that on foot safaris, people have been startled by how close an elephant can get without being heard.
8. Elephants grieve their dead
Elephants have deep emotional lives. Herds have been observed returning to the bones of deceased family members, touching them gently with their trunks and standing in silence. Scientists believe this may be a form of mourning, and it’s one of the many reasons elephants are so respected across African cultures.
It is known worldwide that an elephant has a very good memory. Elephants can recognize other elephants and people, even after many years have passed. They can remember the fun and unpleasant events from the distant past and they know very well who is their friend or former enemy when they see them again.
9. Led by the oldest and wisest female
Elephant herds are matriarchal, led by the oldest female. Her memory and experience guide the group, especially during dry seasons, when she must remember where the nearest water sources are. You can read more about how vital matriarchs are to herd survival in our Serengeti safari story, where we watched a group of elephants navigate a dry valley.
The story goes that the oldest elephant ever is called Raja, who lived as a temple elephant on the island of Sri Lanka.It’s been said that she passed away at age 82. Yui Bua was an elephant living in Elephant Nature Park, and documents claimed that she was 104 when she died. This is all pretty uncertain though.
10. Long-distance communication
Elephants use low-frequency rumbles—called infrasound—to communicate across great distances. These sounds travel through the ground and are picked up by the sensitive pads in their feet and trunks. This helps herds stay in touch even when separated by several kilometers.
11. They can smell water from over 10 kilometers away
Thanks to an extraordinary sense of smell, elephants can detect water sources from far away—sometimes over 12 kilometers. That’s incredibly helpful during dry seasons when water becomes scarce. On overland trips, we’ve followed elephant tracks right to hidden watering holes.
12. Pregnant for nearly two years
Elephants carry their young for 22 months—the longest gestation period of any land animal. At birth, calves can weigh over 100 kilograms but are still wobbly on their feet. They’re raised not only by their mothers but also by other females in the group—a bit like having a built-in village.
13. They sleep very little
Elephants sleep just 2 to 4 hours a day, often while standing. That might seem strange for such a large animal, but it keeps them alert and allows them to stay mobile, especially in areas where food is scarce or danger is near.
14. Constant grazers with a big appetite
These giants can eat up to 300 kilograms of food a day, mostly grass, leaves, bark, and fruit. Because they digest poorly, a lot of that comes out the other end. But their dung plays a vital role in spreading seeds and fertilizing the soil. Elephants quite literally keep the ecosystem going.
Elephants are ecosystem engineers. They dig for water, knock down trees, and create paths used by other animals. Without them, Africa’s ecosystems would look very different. In places like Hwange National Park, their impact is easy to see—entire clearings and watering holes exist thanks to elephant activity.
Have you ever seen a drunken elephant from eating overripe marula-fruit? It is a quite funny site to see! 🙂
Final thoughts
African elephants are so much more than just large animals—they’re intelligent, emotional, and vital to the health of their ecosystems. From the silent way they move to the way they grieve their dead, they challenge everything we think we know about animals.
If you’ve ever had the chance to see one in the wild, you’ll know: it’s something you never forget.
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Who am I? Well, the least you can say is that I am quite crazy about Africa, its nature, its climate, its culture, and more.
As a young woman in my twenties, I had already traveled to several African countries by traveling along in an overlander on my own and mostly camping ( or glamping ) and just fell in love with the diversity of it all.
So much, so that at the age of 26, I went back to university to study biology, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t finish because of health reasons (yes, I got sick from a tropical disease, oh cynicism). But this did not stop my dream of traveling back to Africa several times, and I still do.
My dream was back then to leave Europe and go study animal behavior, especially the elephants (sure, that’s every girl’s dream haha), but I am also very much intrigued by hyenas and other “ugly African animals“.
So, I “kind of” have a little bit of a scientific approach to my articles, when I write about African birds, for example. And most of all: the passion.
But life goes on, you move from one side of the country to the other, you get sick again and top it off with lower back problems, and before you know it, you are over 50 hahaha!
Now, I still travel to Africa, but take it a bit “easier” than the good old camping days, and stay in comfortable, yet affordable accommodations, together with my husband Wouter.
These are some of the countries I have traveled to: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tunisia, and a little bit of Lesotho LOL .
While clearly not being African territory, but Spanish, I also visited Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and location-wise, I consider them “African”, because of their climate and nature, sue me :-p
The last trip I took was to South Africa in the year 2023, and it sure got the fevers for Africa back! From the Barberton mountains to the Drakensberg and the Southcoast, one month wasn’t enough at all to see the whole country, so we’ll be back! At ease and with a little bit more luxury than in my younger days haha!
8 thoughts on “African Elephant Facts: 13 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know”
What an informative article! My favorite animal is also the elephant, but I had no idea there were 3 types. I only thought there were 2. I really enjoyed learning facts about their weight, socialization and lives in general. I also didn’t realize that their tusks continue to grow continuously. I’ll have to bookmark your site and come back to read more. Thanks for sharing all this!
Your article reminded me of the experience I had in a South African game reserve just on the border with Botswana. We went for a bushwalk in the morning as was planned with our two guides. As we walked away from our truck one of our guides was watching a herd of elephants on a hill about half a mile or so away back where we had come from. Later in the morning, we were returning to our truck and the herd had moved closer to where we were parked. We were about 500 yards from our truck along a path but there was one of the elephants in the bush very near the path where we would have to walk. It was a very tense moment. One of our guides explained he was going to walk to the truck and drive back to us to pick us up. We all had to stay perfectly quiet so as not to upset the elephant. It all went well and when he came nearer to the elephant she just moved away deeper into the bush. As our guides explained to us, elephants are particular in that they are all individuals and can be very unpredictable. Lions, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos are more predictable but you can never be sure how an elephant will behave once they catch your scent. That event was now 25 years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. They are indeed fascinating and humbling creatures. Best regards, Andy
Thank you for telling this wonderful story from a fellow Africa-traveller. Stories like this are so plenty and it’s such great fun to sit around the campfire in the evenings and hear all these stories about confrontations with wild animals, isn’t it?
I have actually been to Botswana as well and I remember confrontations with a big bull, when we were on the river with a canoe. He was drinking at the side of the river and made himself really big with his ears wide open when he saw us. We didn’t move until he left, I think it was for 15 minutes at the least. The adrenaline was pumping for sure! Oh my, I just want to go back haha!
What an excellent article. There was so much I learned about the African Elephant that I didn’t know. I thought the videos you added were also outstanding. Especially the one that shows how elephants seem to contemplate the death of another elephant. They are obviously intelligent creatures. I bookmarked your site and plan to be visiting it again soon!
What inspired your fascination with African elephants? Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked your interest, or has it been a lifelong admiration? Also, considering the challenges they face with poaching and habitat loss, what do you think individuals and communities can do to contribute to elephant conservation efforts?
What inspired me to be fascinated with African elephants, do you have a few hours haha?
Seriously though, my fascination started when I saw them for the first time in the wild, which must have been in Zimbabwe when I was in my twenties. Also, the fact that they just ran through a campsite at night, because their dung was all over, and nobody even heard a single thing!
And then the first time that you see a baby elephant in the African savannah or the first you have a close encounter with a gentle giant at Schotia game reserve, this deepens the bond with these magnificent animals!
Conservation attempts of the African elephant are all over Africa, but especially we were impressed by conservationists like Suzy at Pongola game reserve, this is where the story of people making an effort to save this Earth’s creatures begins, with education for the local people.
What an informative article! My favorite animal is also the elephant, but I had no idea there were 3 types. I only thought there were 2. I really enjoyed learning facts about their weight, socialization and lives in general. I also didn’t realize that their tusks continue to grow continuously. I’ll have to bookmark your site and come back to read more. Thanks for sharing all this!
Hi Lee!
Well, I am a little obsessed with the elephant, hence all the little facts that I know of lol. You are very welcome!
Your article reminded me of the experience I had in a South African game reserve just on the border with Botswana. We went for a bushwalk in the morning as was planned with our two guides. As we walked away from our truck one of our guides was watching a herd of elephants on a hill about half a mile or so away back where we had come from. Later in the morning, we were returning to our truck and the herd had moved closer to where we were parked. We were about 500 yards from our truck along a path but there was one of the elephants in the bush very near the path where we would have to walk. It was a very tense moment. One of our guides explained he was going to walk to the truck and drive back to us to pick us up. We all had to stay perfectly quiet so as not to upset the elephant. It all went well and when he came nearer to the elephant she just moved away deeper into the bush. As our guides explained to us, elephants are particular in that they are all individuals and can be very unpredictable. Lions, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos are more predictable but you can never be sure how an elephant will behave once they catch your scent. That event was now 25 years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. They are indeed fascinating and humbling creatures. Best regards, Andy
Hi Andy!
Thank you for telling this wonderful story from a fellow Africa-traveller. Stories like this are so plenty and it’s such great fun to sit around the campfire in the evenings and hear all these stories about confrontations with wild animals, isn’t it?
I have actually been to Botswana as well and I remember confrontations with a big bull, when we were on the river with a canoe. He was drinking at the side of the river and made himself really big with his ears wide open when he saw us. We didn’t move until he left, I think it was for 15 minutes at the least. The adrenaline was pumping for sure! Oh my, I just want to go back haha!
happy travels!
Lizzy
Thank you Lizzy,
What an excellent article. There was so much I learned about the African Elephant that I didn’t know. I thought the videos you added were also outstanding. Especially the one that shows how elephants seem to contemplate the death of another elephant. They are obviously intelligent creatures. I bookmarked your site and plan to be visiting it again soon!
Hi Monty,
Thank you very much for your interest and I hope you will visit again soon. The next article will be about hyena’s! 🙂
kind regards,
Lizzy
Thanks Lizzy!
What inspired your fascination with African elephants? Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked your interest, or has it been a lifelong admiration? Also, considering the challenges they face with poaching and habitat loss, what do you think individuals and communities can do to contribute to elephant conservation efforts?
Hi Jason!
You are welcome!
What inspired me to be fascinated with African elephants, do you have a few hours haha?
Seriously though, my fascination started when I saw them for the first time in the wild, which must have been in Zimbabwe when I was in my twenties. Also, the fact that they just ran through a campsite at night, because their dung was all over, and nobody even heard a single thing!
And then the first time that you see a baby elephant in the African savannah or the first you have a close encounter with a gentle giant at Schotia game reserve, this deepens the bond with these magnificent animals!
Conservation attempts of the African elephant are all over Africa, but especially we were impressed by conservationists like Suzy at Pongola game reserve, this is where the story of people making an effort to save this Earth’s creatures begins, with education for the local people.
I wish you a great safari!
Kind regards,
Lizzy