Sightings of African Elephants are fairly common on Lion Sands but occasionally we will witness something truly special when we are in the presence of these magnificent creatures …

This was once again the case during the beginning of this month when on a morning game drive with our guests, we located a small herd of elephant with a two day old calf moving along the banks of the Sabie River.

African Elephants are gregarious, with females and males living in different social groupings.  Females live in family groups of an adult female with her offspring and a number of closely related females with their offspring which is lead by the oldest and biggest cow called the matriarch, while leave the heard on their own accord when reaching puberty.

African Elephants breed throughout the year with most births in early summer, following a higher frequency of mating during and just after the wet season two years previously.  Females, otherwise known as cows, are in oestrus for 3 to 6 days, with gestation approximately 22 months.  Females stay in their family groups, while males move out between the ages of 12 and 13 years.  Females are sexually mature anywhere from 9 to 18 years, while males are sexually mature at 7 to 18 years.

Young elephants are subject to predation by lions and spotted hyaenas and remain close to their mothers, rarely moving more than a few meters from her side during the first few months of life.  A very young elephant calf walks under its mother’s belly, between her legs and the mothers and other females in the herd will defend the calves vigorously at this stage.  Maternal care of the young is intensive for the first two years of life and the mother will ensure that the calf is safely positioned under her belly when moving, she will assist her baby over obstacles and up and down steep slopes and will squirt water over it and dust it regularly.