Fish Eagle's Elephant Coin (Missing)

Roam anywhere in the world, collecting the flags of the countries that I visit.

We live close to the Kruger National Park, which we visit frequently, and love dearly. We have dedicated this series of personal geocoins to some of the special animals found in the Park.

ELEPHANT  (Loxodonta Africana)

Introduction
The Elephant is the world’s largest land mammal, and weighs up to 7 tons and reaches heights of 3.3 m at the shoulder. Elephants can live to an age of 70 years. The tusks of older bulls can weigh up to 60 kilograms, but tusks weighing up to 90 kilograms have been recorded.

Appearance
The Elephant’s trunk is a modified nose which is very sensitive and can even detect water under ground. There are as many as 50 000 muscles in the trunk. The sensitive finger-like appendages at the tip of the trunk enables them to pick the smallest twig or flower, pull the toughest reed of grass or even pick out a thorn from their feet.

An elephant's leg joints, perceived as knees, are in fact wrists. This is a common misunderstanding due to the belief that a leg joint that bends between the foot and the body must be a knee.

Tusks are used for obtaining food, fighting, and for self defence. They are actually their upper incisors, and grow continuously until they die. Although their skin is up to 3cm thick, it is quite sensitive.

Diet
Elephants are voracious feeders which in a day consume up to 270 kg of grass, shoots and bark from trees. An adult Elephant can drink up to 200 litres of water in a single session.

Breeding
Elephants are not seasonal breeders. Generally they produce one calf every 3 to 4 years. The gestation period is about 22 months. At birth calves weigh about 100 kg and are weaned between 18-24 months.

Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most Elephant behavior has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years. Tusks erupt at 16 months but do not show externally until 30 months. Once weaned, usually at age 4 or 5, the calf still remains in the maternal group.

Females mature at about 11 years and stay in the group, while the males, which mature between 12 and 15, are usually expelled from the maternal herd. Even though these young males are sexually mature, they do not breed until they are in their mid, or late 20s or even older and have moved up in the social hierarchy.

Behaviour
Mature males form bachelor groups or become solitary bulls. Elephant form strong family units of cows, calves and young offspring. Such herds are always led by an old female. They love wading or swimming in water, and relish mud baths.

It was once thought that family groups were led by old bull elephants, but these males are most often solitary. The female family groups are often visited by mature males checking for females in oestrus. Several interrelated family groups may inhabit an area and know each other well.

Elephant are extremely intelligent, and each individual has a distinct character. Although there will be exceptions to the rules, the common signs of a mock charge are bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations, open ears and an intimidating presence.

Aggressive or startled elephants usually make sudden headshakes and flap their large ears against their head. Serious charges usually occur after all attempts to intimidate have failed, and the Elephant feels threatened.

Nov06 - Australia

Nov10 - United Kingdom