Indian elephant short description. Indian elephant animal (lat. Elephas maximus). Current population size and distribution

Order - Proboscis / Family - Elephantidae / Genus - Asian elephants

History of the study

The Asian elephant, or Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) is a mammal of the proboscis order, the only modern species of the genus Asian elephants (Elephas) and one of three modern species of the elephant family.

The Asian elephant is the second largest land animal after the savannah elephant.

Spreading

In ancient times, Asian elephants were found in Southeast Asia from the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia (45° E) to the Malay Peninsula, in the north reaching the foothills of the Himalayas and the Yangtze River in China (30° N). They were also found on the islands of Sri Lanka, Sumatra and possibly Java. In the 16th to 19th centuries, the Indian elephant was still common across much of the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and the eastern parts of its former range.

Currently, the range of Indian elephants is highly fragmented; in the wild they are found in the countries of the Indo-Malayan biogeographic region: South and North-East India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, South-West China, Malaysia (mainland and on the island of Borneo), Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra) and Brunei.

Appearance

The sizes are the smallest in the family. Body length 5.5-6.4 m, shoulder height 2.5-3 m, tail length 1.2-1.5 m. Weight about 5 tons. The highest point of the body is the top of the head. As a rule, only males have tusks; they reach 1.5 m and weigh 20-25 kg. The ears are significantly smaller than those of the African elephant. At the end of the trunk there is one dorsal process. There are 5 hooves on the forelimbs and 4 on the hind limbs. Body coloration ranges from dark gray to brown.

There are from 6 to 27 transverse dentin plates in each cheek tooth (more than in the African elephant). Ribs 19 pairs. There are 33 caudal vertebrae. The heart often has a double apex.

Reproduction

Reproduction can occur at any time of the year, regardless of the season. Females are in estrus for only 2-4 days; A complete estrous cycle lasts about 4 months. Males join the herd after mating fights - as a result, only mature dominant males are allowed to breed. Fights sometimes lead to serious injuries to opponents and even death. The winning male drives away other males and remains with the female for about 3 weeks. In the absence of females, young male elephants often exhibit homosexual behavior.

Elephants have the longest pregnancy among mammals; it lasts from 18 to 21.5 months, although the fetus is fully developed by 19 months and then only increases in size. The female brings 1 (rarely 2) cub weighing about 90-100 kg and height (at the shoulders) about 1 m. It has tusks about 5 cm long, which fall out by the age of 2, when milk teeth are replaced by adult ones. During calving, the remaining females surround the woman in labor, forming a protective circle. Soon after giving birth, the female defecates so that the baby remembers the smell of her feces. The baby elephant stands on its feet 2 hours after birth and immediately begins to suckle milk; the female, using her trunk, “sprays” dust and earth onto it, drying the skin and masking its smell from large predators. After a few days, the cub is already able to follow the herd, holding onto the tail of its mother or older sister with its trunk. All lactating females in the herd are involved in feeding the baby elephant. Milk feeding continues until 18-24 months, although the baby elephant begins to eat plant foods after 6-7 months. Elephants also eat their mother's feces - with their help, not only undigested nutrients are transferred to them, but also symbiotic bacteria that help digest cellulose. Mothers continue to care for their offspring for several more years. Young elephants begin to separate from the family group by the age of 6-7 years and are finally expelled by 12-13 years.

The rate of growth, maturation and life expectancy of elephants is comparable to that of humans. Female Indian elephants reach sexual maturity at the age of 10-12 years, although they become capable of bearing offspring by the age of 16, and reach adult size only by the age of 20. Males become capable of reproducing by the age of 10-17 years, but competition with older males keeps them from reproducing. At this age, young males leave their native herd; females, as a rule, remain there for their entire lives. The onset of sexual maturity, as well as estrus in mature females, can be inhibited by unfavorable conditions - periods of drought or severe overcrowding. Under the most favorable conditions, the female is able to bear offspring every 3-4 years. During her life, the female gives birth to an average of 4 litters. The period of greatest fertility is between 25 and 45 years.

Lifestyle

The Indian elephant, unlike the African elephant, is a forest dweller. He loves light forests, especially with undergrowth in the form of bamboo thickets.

In the summer, elephants go to the mountains, rise high into the Himalayas, to the border of eternal snow. The Indian elephant, which lives in the wild, is characterized by family groups of 10-20 individuals. Although you can find an elephant living alone, and huge herds numbering more than 100 animals. In the herd, the overwhelming majority are females - approximately 50%, males - about 30%, and the rest are young elephants.

The leader of the herd is a female – old and experienced. She leads the other animals, who obey her unquestioningly. Elephant reproduction does not depend on the time of year. The mating period, which lasts about three weeks, can be determined by the arousal of male elephants: the gland, which is located between the eye and ear, secretes a black secretion. In India, this condition of theirs is called must and the animal is considered dangerous to others during this period - the Indian elephant is aggressive and ready to attack even a person who has all the characteristics of Molchalin.

Nutrition

Indian elephants are herbivores and spend up to 20 hours a day foraging and feeding. Only during the hottest hours of the day do elephants seek shade to avoid overheating. The amount of food they eat daily ranges from 150 to 300 kg of various vegetation, or 6-8% of the elephant’s body weight. Elephants eat mainly grass; they also eat in some quantities the bark, roots and leaves of various plants, as well as flowers and fruits. Elephants tear off long grass, leaves and shoots with their flexible trunk; if the grass is short, they first loosen and dig up the soil with kicks. The bark from large branches is scraped off with molars, holding the branch with the trunk. Elephants willingly destroy agricultural crops, as a rule, rice, bananas and sugar cane, thus being the largest “pests” of agriculture.

The digestive system of the Indian elephant is quite simple; a capacious cylindrical stomach allows you to “store” food while symbiont bacteria ferment it in the intestines. The total length of the small and large intestines of the Indian elephant reaches 35 m. The digestion process takes about 24 hours; at the same time, only 44-45% of the food is actually absorbed. An elephant requires at least 70-90 (up to 200) liters of water per day, so they never move away from water sources. Like African elephants, they often dig in the ground in search of salt.

Due to the large amount of food they consume, elephants rarely feed in the same place for more than 2-3 days in a row. They are not territorial, but stick to their feeding areas, which reach 15 km² for males and 30 km² for gregarious females, increasing in size during the dry season. In the past, elephants made long seasonal migrations (a full migration cycle sometimes took up to 10 years), as well as movements between water sources, but human activity has made such movements impossible, limiting the elephants' stay to national parks and reserves.

Number

Throughout history, people have hunted elephants, first for their meat and later for their tusks. With the arrival of Europeans, the extermination of wild Indian elephants for the sake of ivory, protection of crops, and anthropogenic changes in habitat conditions sharply reduced their numbers and reduced their range. The habitat has turned into a series of isolated areas confined to remote or protected areas. The range and number of wild elephants began to decline especially sharply in the last decades of the 20th century due to the expansion of agricultural land and eucalyptus plantations, which are used as the main raw material for the paper and pulp industry in the countries of Southeast Asia. In addition, elephants began to be destroyed as agricultural pests, despite existing conservation laws. Female Asian elephants were largely unaffected by ivory harvesting (due to the lack of tusks), so poaching did not lead to the same drastic decline in elephant numbers as in Africa. However, the reduction in the number of males overall resulted in a severely skewed sex ratio, which had serious demographic and genetic consequences.

The total number of all subspecies of wild Asian elephant in 2005 is estimated at 35,000-50,000.

The first law on the protection of elephants (Elephants" Preservation Act) was adopted in 1879 in India. According to it, a wild elephant could be killed by a person only in self-defense or to prevent harm. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed in the International Red Book as a species close to extinction (Endangered). It is also listed in Appendix I to CITES. Currently, the Indian Foundation The Wildlife Trust of India, together with the World Land Trust, is implementing projects to create unique “corridors” passing along the traditional migration routes of wild elephants, which will connect isolated parts of their range in the Indo-Burmese region.

In general, the reasons for the decline in Asian elephant numbers include persecution due to crop damage, hunting (mainly for ivory and meat) and environmental degradation due to increasing anthropogenic pressure on natural landscapes (including deforestation). Many elephants die in road accidents when colliding with vehicles. According to some estimates, the wild Asian elephant population is declining by 2-5% each year.

Elephants, like any large animal, are potentially deadly to humans. Lone wandering elephants and females with cubs are especially aggressive.

Asian elephant and man

The Indian elephant is easy to tame and make into a helper. Elephants in India, unlike African elephants, are obedient, trainable and do an excellent job. They are used for riding in difficult, swampy areas. A special saddle is placed on the elephant’s back and it can carry up to 4 people. The elephant driver is located on the animal's neck.

The Indian elephant, also called the Asian elephant, is one of the endangered species of elephants that are listed in the Red Book. This is one of the largest animals on our planet, which is somewhat similar to the ancient mammoth. The ears have a characteristic pointed shape and are extended downwards.

The length of the tusks of male Indian elephants reaches 1.5 meters, which is why they are often the subject of poaching. There are elephants that do not have tusks. They live mainly in eastern India.

In addition to India, this type of elephant lives in Nepal, Burma, Thailand and the island of Sumatra. The expansion of agricultural land in these countries has left elephants with nowhere to live, causing their numbers to plummet in recent years.

The habitat of the Indian elephant is a light forest with bushy undergrowth. Closer to summer, they like to climb the mountains, but almost never go out into the savannahs, since these territories have been turned into lands on which they constantly grow something.

Hierarchy of Indian Elephant Relationships

Typically, Indian elephants live and keep in groups of 15-20 individuals, subordinate to the old female - she is the head of the herd. The herd consists of subgroups of related females with cubs. As they increase in size, such subgroups can separate and form their own herd.

Male Indian elephants at the age of 7-8 years separate from the herd and form their own groups for a short time. Having reached adulthood, males often stay alone. During the mating period, male Indian elephants are dangerous and aggressive and can even attack humans.

Elephants' social bonds are very strong. If there is a wounded person in the herd, others help him get up, supporting him on both sides.

The habitats of Indian elephants have a complex, unique structure. They consist of areas connected by paths, as well as areas where elephants never enter. Elephants go to dangerous areas only at nightfall.

How long does an Indian elephant live?

The lifespan of an Indian elephant is 60-70 years. Puberty occurs at 8-12 years of age. The female carries the cub for 22 months, and becomes pregnant every 4-5 years. After birth, members of the herd approach the calf, greeting it with a touch of their trunk.

His mother helps him find his nipples. Immediately after birth, the cub stands firmly on its feet and is able to move independently. By the age of 2-3 years, he begins to eat plant foods.

Indian elephant hunting

Elephants spend almost all their waking hours searching for food. They eat many types of plants, but almost 85% are their favorite foods. During the day, the Indian elephant eats 100-150 kg per day, and in the wet season up to 280 kg, preferring grass in the wet season, and the woody mass of shrubs and trees in the dry season.

Elephants drink 180 liters of water per day. They also eat the soil, thereby replenishing minerals and iron. In search of water, they can dig up dry stream beds, which other animals use for watering after the elephants leave. If there is enough moisture in the food, elephants can go without water for several days.

Why is the Indian elephant so revered in India?

In India, the elephant is considered a sacred animal, representing wisdom, prudence and strength. After all, only this elephant wisely approaches the issue of survival - taking care of wounded elephants and young animals. That is why the elephant is the symbol of India.

Elephants participate in wedding ceremonies and other celebrations.

Watch the video about the Indian elephant:

Read more about elephants: Elephant hunting: history and reality, Sumatran elephants, Indian elephant - an indispensable human assistant.

The Indian elephant is a mammal from the order Proboscis. The last living Asian elephant, the others are fossils. Science considers it the second largest among currently existing animals.

Description

The height of the Indian elephant reaches 2.7 meters, the female animal is slightly lower - up to 2.2 meters. Body length varies from 5.5 to 6.4 meters, males are the largest. Huge size- This is a distinctive feature that an animal possesses.

How much an elephant weighs is of interest to inquisitive people. The average weight of an elephant is 2,700 kg, which is still one and a half times less than the weight of its relative from Africa.

general characteristics

The elephant belongs to the order Proboscis and is one of three modern representatives of the elephant family. Some differences allow us to distinguish four subspecies of the Asian elephant, named according to their place of distribution:

elephant is the most different large tusks;
Sri Lankan elephant, it has no tusks, the head seems too large in proportion to the body;
the Sumatran elephant, nicknamed “pocket elephant” due to its small size;
Bornean elephant with particularly large ears and a long tail.

Habitat. Area

The main feature that distinguishes the Indian elephant from the African elephant is the geographical division, which is reflected in the names of the species. At that time, subspecies of the Asian elephant were also named after their range. The Asian elephant is common in India, China, Cambodia and Thailand, the Sri Lankan elephant is found in Sri Lanka, the Sumatran elephant is found in Sumatra, and the Bornean elephant is found in the northeastern part of the island of Borneo.

Appearance

If you look at both species, you can clearly understand which elephants are more Indian or African. The Indian giant has a more massive build, its legs are thick and short.

The elephant has a wide forehead, depressed in the middle. Indians do have tusks, but in the Asian species they are 2-3 times smaller, and in some subspecies they may be completely absent. The trunk contains inside a complex system of muscles and tendons.

Habitat

The powerful body makes the elephant adapted to life in quite difficult conditions; it is often found in dense and difficult forests. The elephant can survive for some time without water and food, but prefers to avoid desert areas.

Lifestyle

The elephant tolerates the cold better, but in hot weather it is forced to hide in the shade. This is due to the absence of sweat glands in the skin, which could help cool the body.

This animal equally loves to swim in water and mud; this saves the skin from insect bites, sunburn and drying out. A bulky physique does not hinder high mobility.

Elephants can reach speeds of up to 48 km/h when in danger. Poor vision is more than compensated for by excellent hearing development; animals can communicate over a distance of several kilometers using infrasound. Their lifestyle is predominantly nocturnal; rest requires 4 hours of sleep per day; elephants most often sleep during the day.

Nutrition

Indian and African elephants have a similar diet; they prefer to eat grass, fruits, leaves and roots of trees, and sometimes eat bark. The love of plant foods often causes elephants to destroy agricultural crops.

Reproduction

The ability of elephants to reproduce does not depend on the time of year; only the strongest males who managed to win the mating duel are allowed to mate. Every year, males fall into a state of must, which is characterized by aggressive behavior and excessive sexual desire. Elephants have an unusually long pregnancy, lasting between 18 and 22 months.

Enemies

What a powerful body the elephant has! This state of affairs leads to the absence of natural enemies; only humans are capable of harming elephants. Tigers and lions can attack elephant calves.

Lifespan

Under natural conditions, elephants live up to 70 years; when kept by humans, their lifespan sometimes increases to 80 years or more. The most common cause of death is tooth wear, animals lose the ability to eat and die of starvation.

Red Book

Indian and African elephant - without taking the necessary measures, animals can disappear and the faces of the Earth. They belong to endangered species and are protected by relevant laws.

The elephant is an interesting animal that has left a noticeable mark on culture; many have gone down in history. There are many interesting facts associated with Asian elephants:

they have a flexible mind; they use many “words” to communicate with each other;
significance for humans has led to the fact that even in religion the Indian elephant, the god Ganesha, was created in his likeness;
a herd of elephants has a complex social structure.

Scientific classification.

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Subkingdom: eumetazoans

Type: chordates

Subphylum: vertebrates

Infratype: gnathostomes

Superclass: quadrupeds

Class: mammals

Subclass: animals

Infraclass: placental

Superorder: Afrotherium

Order: proboscis

Family: ivory

Genus: Asian elephants

Species: Asian (Indian) elephant

The body length of the Indian elephant is 5.5-6.4 m, the tail is 1.2-1.5 m. They reach a weight of 5.4 tons with a height of 2.5-3.5 meters. Females are smaller than males, weighing on average 2.7 tons.

The Indian elephant is primarily a forest dweller. It prefers light tropical and subtropical deciduous forests with a dense undergrowth of shrubs and especially bamboo. Previously, in the cool season, elephants went out into the steppes, but now this has become possible only in nature reserves, since outside them the steppe has almost everywhere been turned into agricultural land. In summer, along wooded slopes, elephants climb quite high into the mountains, meeting in the Himalayas at the border of eternal snow, at an altitude of up to 3600 m. Elephants move quite easily through swampy terrain and climb into the mountains.

Like other large mammals, elephants tolerate cold better than heat. They spend the hottest part of the day in the shade, continuously flapping their ears to cool the body and improve heat exchange. They love to take baths, pouring water over themselves and rolling around in dirt and dust; These precautions protect the elephants' skin from drying out, sunburn and insect bites. For their size, elephants are surprisingly agile and agile; they have an excellent sense of balance. If necessary, they check the reliability and hardness of the soil under their feet with blows from their trunk, but thanks to the structure of their feet, they are able to move even through marshy areas. An alarmed elephant can reach speeds of up to 48 km/h; while running, the elephant raises its tail, signaling to its relatives about danger. Elephants are also good swimmers. The elephant spends most of its time searching for food, but the elephant needs at least 4 hours a day to sleep. They do not lie on the ground; the exception is sick elephants and young animals.

Elephants are distinguished by an acute sense of smell, hearing and touch, but their vision is weak - they see poorly at a distance of more than 10 m, somewhat better in shaded places. Elephants' hearing, due to their huge ears that serve as amplifiers, is much superior to humans. Elephants use numerous sounds, postures, and trunk gestures to communicate. Thus, a long trumpet call calls together the flock; a short, sharp, trumpet sound means fear; powerful blows on the ground with the trunk mean irritation and rage. Elephants have an extensive repertoire of calls, roars, grunts, squeals, etc., which signal danger, stress, aggression and greet each other.

Indian elephants are strict vegetarians and spend up to 20 hours a day foraging and feeding. Only during the hottest hours of the day do elephants seek shade to avoid overheating. The amount of food they eat daily ranges from 150 to 300 kg of various vegetation, or 6-8% of the elephant’s body weight. Elephants eat mainly grass; they also eat in some quantities the bark, roots and leaves of various plants, as well as flowers and fruits. Elephants tear off long grass, leaves and shoots with their flexible trunk; if the grass is short, they first loosen and dig up the soil with kicks. The bark from large branches is scraped off with molars, holding the branch with the trunk. Elephants willingly destroy agricultural crops, as a rule, rice, bananas and sugar cane, thus being the largest “pests” of agriculture.

Indian elephants are social animals. Females always form family groups consisting of a matriarch (the most experienced female), her daughters, sisters and cubs, including immature males. Sometimes there is one old male next to the herd. In the 19th century elephant herds, as a rule, consisted of 30-50 individuals, although there were also herds of up to 100 or more heads. Currently, herds consist primarily of 2-10 females and their offspring. The herd may temporarily break up into smaller groups that maintain contact through characteristic vocalizations containing low-frequency components. Small groups (less than 3 adult females) have been found to be more stable than large ones. Several small herds can form the so-called. clan.

Males usually lead a solitary lifestyle; only young males who have not reached sexual maturity form temporary groups not associated with female groups. Adult males only approach the herd when one of the females is in estrus. At the same time, they arrange mating fights; Most of the time, however, males are quite tolerant of each other, and their feeding territories often overlap. By the age of 15-20 years, males usually reach sexual maturity, after which they annually enter a state known as must (Urdu for "intoxication"). This period is characterized by very high testosterone levels and, as a result, aggressive behavior. During must, an odorous black secretion containing pheromones is released from a special skin gland located between the ear and eye. Males even produce copious amounts of urine. In this state they are very excited, dangerous and can even attack a person. The must lasts up to 60 days; all this time, the males practically stop feeding and wander around in search of females in heat. It is curious that in African elephants must is less pronounced and first appears at a later age (from 25 years of age).

In nature, Indian elephants live up to 60-70 years, in captivity - up to 80 years. Adult elephants have no natural enemies; elephant calves can be attacked by tigers.

The Indian or Asian elephant belongs to the family Elephantidae and forms a genus called Asian elephants. Animals live in tropical and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth. These days they are not found in steppe regions. Human agricultural activity is to blame. In areas free of high vegetation, elephants live only in nature reserves. Along wooded slopes they rise into the mountains to a height of up to 3 thousand meters above sea level. These are the Eastern Himalayas in northeast India. They do not disdain swampy areas. They love shallow bodies of water.

There are three species of Asian elephant. This is the elephant of Sri Lanka (a large island located southeast of India). Indian elephant living in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, China. And the elephant of Sumatra and Borneo (Indonesia). In general, when talking about Asian elephants, they use the common term “Indian elephant” for all species.

This animal is very large and strong. But in size and weight it is inferior to the African or savannah elephant. That is, in terms of size, it occupies an honorable second place among all mammals on the planet. The weight of males reaches a maximum of 5.5 tons with a height of 3.2 meters. Females are smaller. They weigh around 2.6 tons with a height of 2.2-2.4 meters. The weight of the skeleton is 15% of the body weight. The largest Asian elephant was shot in India in 1924. Its weight was 8 tons with a height of 3.35 meters, and its body reached 8 meters in length. Today's elephants have body lengths ranging from 5.5 to 6.6 meters. The tail is no more than one and a half meters long.

Externally, the body of the Indian elephant looks stockier than that of the African elephant. The legs are powerful, and their soles are capable of increasing the area in contact with the ground. Therefore, the animal moves freely through swampy areas and sands. The front legs have five hooves or toes, the hind legs have 4. The skin color is dark gray, almost brown. Skin is dry and wrinkled. Elephants constantly monitor her condition. They love to roll in the dust, swim and scratch themselves on trees. Coarse, sparse hair grows on the body. In elephant calves it is thicker and has a brown color.

The shape of the head of the Asian elephant is different from the shape of the head of its African counterpart. Thanks to it, you can determine at first glance where is an inhabitant of the African savannah and where is an inhabitant of the tropical forests of India. The animal has two large protuberances on its head. And at the edges the head seems to be compressed. The ears are small, but the Africans have huge “mugs”.

It is a clot of muscles and is nothing more than a fused nose and upper lip. Its length ranges from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. A bucket of water fits freely into the trunk. At its end there is a finger-like process. The African elephant has two such processes.

- These are the upper fangs that have grown to enormous sizes. The Indian elephant is notable for the fact that females do not grow tusks. This is sometimes observed in males as well. This is especially common in animals living in Sri Lanka. The length of the tusks reaches 1.6 meters with a maximum weight of 25 kg. African tusks grow up to 2.5 meters and weigh 45 kg. The largest Asian elephant tusks were 1.8 meters long and weighed 40 kg.

The animal has 4 molars in its mouth. They change 4 times throughout life. The first time after the loss of baby teeth at 15-16 years old, and then at intervals of 12 years. After the last pair of molars wears out, the animal dies from malnutrition. The Indian elephant lives 80 years under favorable conditions. In the wild, the usual life expectancy is 60-65 years, rarely 70 years.

Reproduction

Puberty in males occurs at the age of 12-15 years. Having become sexually mature, they begin every year to fall into a state called must or mast (in English musth). It is characterized by increased levels of testosterone (sex hormone). Its concentration in the body increases 100 times. The male becomes aggressive and irritable. The must lasts for 2 months. All this time, the elephant eats almost nothing, but is busy searching for females ready for fertilization. It is interesting that the African elephant is also subject to must, but it is practically not expressed in any way and passes almost unnoticed.

Having found a female, the Indian elephant must also fight with rivals. Only by winning all the fights does he finally achieve reciprocity, which lasts about 20 days. Pregnancy lasts from 18 to 22 months. One baby elephant is born; very rarely there are twins. The baby weighs 100 kg at birth with a height of 1 meter. Milk feeding lasts about 2 years. In females, puberty occurs at the age of 10-12 years. The young male leaves the herd when he reaches the age of 8-12 years. Females remain with their mother for life.

Behavior and nutrition

The Indian elephant is a collective animal. Females always form herds. Each one is headed by a mature and experienced lady. The group also includes her daughters and cubs. In our time, such formations number from 10 to 20 animals. In the old days, when man invaded the wild from time to time, the herd of elephants numbered several dozen animals. Males also form groups, but these groups are very fragile. They often break up and then form again, but with partial replacement of males. Often a herd of females is accompanied by a mature male. But he never feels like a full member of the team.

Residents of Asian expanses eat plant foods. He eats grass, leaves, roots. They gnaw the bark of trees. Enjoys bananas and sugar cane. He often looks into agricultural lands, which greatly annoys people.

The herd feeds in one place for no more than a few days. Animals love to eat, so they quickly destroy all the vegetation around them and move to another feeding area. Moreover, each herd adheres to certain territorial boundaries. They lie, as a rule, in the range of 30-40 square meters. km. Elephants have poor eyesight, but have excellent senses of smell and hearing. These animals are prone to mutual assistance and have a very high intelligence, which is second only to the intelligence of dolphins.

Indian elephant and man

In the wild, the Indian elephant has practically no enemies. The only relative danger comes from Bengal tigers and leopards. In ancient times, elephants were harassed by Asiatic lions. These days, these predators have practically disappeared from the wild. The pitiful remnants of a once huge population while away their lion life in the north-west of India in the Girsky Nature Reserve and do not pose any threat to elephants.

Since time immemorial, people have domesticated huge and strong animals. Elephants “served” in the army long before Alexander the Great’s campaign in India. They participated in religious rituals. Elephants were kept in the courts of all Indian rulers. This was considered prestigious, and once again emphasized the power of the ruler. These animals were also used in all heavy construction work. Indian elephants are well domesticated and are very smart.

In recent decades, the need for construction elephants has practically disappeared. Many powerful mechanisms have appeared in India, each of which is capable of replacing a hundred powerful animals at a time. With the growth of cultivated areas, the relationship between man and elephant became tense. Today, in the vast Asian region, there are no more than 50 thousand of these smart animals. People prefer to shoot elephants so that they do not interfere with their normal lives. The males' tusks also play a role in wiping out the population. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed in the International Red Book, but its numbers have been steadily declining by at least 2-3% per year.

Hierarchy of Indian Elephant Relationships

How long does an Indian elephant live?

Indian elephant hunting

Why is the Indian elephant so revered in India?

Description

general characteristics

Habitat. Area

Appearance

Habitat

Lifestyle

Nutrition

Reproduction

Enemies

Lifespan

Red Book

Reproduction

Behavior and nutrition

Indian elephant and man

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