Elephants of the Masai Mara, Kenya

Elephants of the Masai Mara, Keny Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) One of the most common sightings of a 'Big Five' animal in the Masai Mara is of the African elephant. The elephant is the largest land animal on the planet. At its largest, the elephant can grow up to seven and a half metres long, almost three and a half metres high and can weigh up to six tons. Despite being threatened by poachers for its ivory tusks, the African elephant population in the Mara has grown in recent years. This incredibly intelligent and sociable animal is known for having strong family ties. They are matriarchal, which means they live in female-led groups. Generally the matriarch is the largest and the eldest elephant of the group. She leads a multi-generational herd of females, known as cows, and their offspring. The adult male elephants usually live on their own, but occasionally they will form small groups of their own. Family units usually are made up of approximately ten elephants, but at times several family units get together to form a 'clan' of up to 70 elephants led by a single female elephant. Elephants live on a diet of grasses, fruit, roots and bark and can eat up to 300 pounds of food per day.