Elephant Basics

Elephants are, of course, best known for their trunks. Used to pick up objects, trumpet warnings, greet other elephants, suck up water for drinking or bathing and for being generally cheeky, it is incredibly strong and agile, containing more than 40,000 muscles. While the look and usage of their trunks is very similar between African and Asian elephants, there are also some fundamental differences in the appearances of these pachyderm cousins. Asian elephants are the noticeable smaller and shorter of the two, they have smaller, rounder ears and have a twin-domed head where African elephants’ is single domed. Furthermore, while both male and female African elephants grow tusks, only male Asian elephants do.

They have plenty in common too. Matriarch-led herds of related females and calves live together, communally looking after and protecting the younger members. There tend to be six to 10 individuals per herd, but herds can join to form bigger groups – you see this more in the wide-open space of the savannah in Africa where ‘clans’ can have several hundred members. At 22 months gestation, elephants have the longest pregnancy of all mammals, giving birth to one calf every 4 to 5 years. Female calves may stay with their herd when they mature, while males leave at puberty, to roam solo or to join a small group of bachelors.

African elephants are found in 37 countries across Africa, living in a huge variety of habitats that range from grassland to desert. They are one of the Big Five, a bucket list of particularly iconic African creatures everyone wants to spot on safari.

Asian elephants are found in the dry to wet forest and grasslands in 13 countries across Asia, including large populations in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and smaller populations in the countries of Southeast Asia. 

Elephant Conservation

Both African savanna elephants and Asian elephants are classified as an endangered species. The reasons for these two species on separate continents are the same - loss of habitat, habitat fragmentation and poaching.

The illegal trade in ivory continues to be a huge issue for populations for both elephant species Population growth and infrastructure development in both Africa and Asia has led to the loss of elephant habitats and cut off traditional migratory routes, preventing elephants. This has, in turn, amped up human-elephant conflict, as elephants come into towns and villages, eating and trampling crops.

Elephants are extremely important to the maintenance of the habitats that they live in, with many other plants and animals depending on them for survival, so their conservation is essential. Much resource is put into stopping elephant poaching and the trade in ivory, including the creation of conservation areas, while community education and initiatives, the creation of an ecotourism economy and measures such as chilli and tobacco barriers around crops are in place to easy elephant-human conflict. There are plenty of positive results from all this conservation effort, too, with elephant populations stabilising and even increasing in some regions.

Where to See Elephants

The best place to see African savanna elephant is, of course, the savanna of Africa! Much of southern Africa is considered a stronghold of the species, with significant populations in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, in Namibia and Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa. Each of these destinations offer once-in-a-lifetime safari experiences, where you’ll not only see plenty of elephants but an incredible array of other wildlife too.

In Asia, Sri Lanka tops the list for the best places to see elephants, with high concentrations particularly in Minneriya and Udawalawe national parks which will allow you to spot them in the wild. Thailand, also, is a great choice with its ethical sanctuaries where you can have a more up-close experience with these gorgeous giants. 

How to See Elephants with Wendy Wu Tours

Wendy Wu Tours offers tours that include destinations across southern Africa for spectacular safari experiences to spot African elephants and across India and Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia for adventures that include Asian elephants. You can see those tours below.