African Bush Elephant

An African Bush Elephant, or African Savanna Elephant is the largest of the two species of African Elephant.Both it and the AFrican forest elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African elephant, but recent evidence has seen the forest elephant classified as a distinct species. Some authorities still consider the currently available evidence as insufficient for splitting African elephants into two species.  Africa has experienced a continent-wide decline in the number of elephants in the last few decades. Between 1979 and 1989, nearly half of Africa's elephants were killed for ivory. Expansion of human populations increasingly results in conflict between people and elephants. Human settlements limit an elephant's range of movement, while an elephant feasting on crops may destroy a farmer's livelihood and result in fatal retaliation. 

 Their scientific name is Loxodonta Africana. Their natural habitat extends from deserts of Sahara to the southern tip of Africa.  They are the second largest living animal on Earth, after the blue whale.  They can weigh more than eight tons. Their length is in the range of six meters to seven and half meters (approximately 20 to 25 feet). They can reach a height of more than four meters, or approximately thirteen feet.  African bush elephants have large brains (5 kg), compared to     their cousins dwelling in Asia and are more intelligent, which makes sense saying their size.  African elephants have remarkably complex and interesting social lives. Their society is guided by the oldest female called a matriarch. She determines when they eat, rest, bathe and drink. Since forest elephants were recognized as a separate species, African elephants have been referred to as savannah or bush elephants.