Elephants are mammals of the family elephant idea and the largest existing land animals. There species are currently recognized the African bush elephant with life span of 60-70 years elephant. The African forest elephant and the Asian elephant.
Elephantidea is the only surviving family of the order proboscidea, extinct members include the mastodons. The gestation period of African bush elephant is 22months. The elephants belong to the class of Mammalia, kingdom of Animalia, and scientific name of loxodonta.
They are the world’s largest terrestrial mammals of the two recognized species of this iconic animal. African bush elephants are largest of two and their tusks curve out and the forest- dwelling cousins are darker and have tusks that are straighter and that point down ward and upward.
Elephants have very long noses which also function as an arm. Long trucks for breathing smelling drinking trumpeting and grabbling objects and also trucks are used as a grooming tool .They use their trucks to cover themselves with mud or water to maintain hydration and to exhibit affection by touching, caressing their fellows.
The elephant’s hobby is eating since majority of their time during the day they roam a long distance in search pasture (grasses, fruit, roots and bark).
The elephants are friendly to the extent that they live like human being. They are social creatures, they live in small family group that usually consist of an older matriarch and several generations of female relatives .Males are typically solitary once matured but many lives in small groups of three of four bulls . The elephants nurse the weak and injured members and even appear to grieve over dead companions.
Poaching has been a challenge to elephants, poachers kill iconic species for its ivory tusks, which are then sold and made into anything from jewelry crafts to musical instruments to religious objects.
Demand for ivory is traded by consumer demand for products made from tusks which also on the other hand challenge elephants. Elephant gestation is longer, elephants calves are carried for about 22months with in 3to 6 years the elephants produce one and this makes their production to be slow.
Uganda wildlife authorities have protected and conserve elephant through empowering community member, raising awareness to end ivory demand and give them room to roam.