Elephants are social animals. They live in a large group which is called a herd. The herd is led by the eldest female elephant who is called the matriarch. Mostly baby and mother elephants stay in the herd. African bush elephants can live in huge herds of up to 70 elephants. The Asian elephants live in small herds of six to seven related females while African forest elephants live up to 20 individuals.
A male elephant leaves the herd when he is 12 to 15 years old. Female elephants won't leave the herd because they lead the group. Male elephants live alone or in small herds of male elephants. They migrate as they feed so in a situation like Nepal, elephant herds still move back and forth from India to Nepal.
Puberty starts in male elephants at the age of 13 to 14 and that's when and why they leave the herd and roam either on their own or with a friend. Females mate with one bull in each estrus cycle, which lasts up to 18 weeks.
While elephants do not breed for life, a female might frequently choose to breed with the same bull and bulls are from time to time seen being protective of females.
In a herd older elephants always love their babies. And they are like human beings because they always follow the rules and behave similarly, playing. Elephants put mud on their bodies, roll on the muddy ground, look for food and water. Young ones learn from the older ones and they works as a team.
When a calf is born, it is secured by the whole matriarchy. When a calf needs anything, like if they are hungry or thirsty, they call their mother for help. Adults don't need to teach them because in the herd they see and learn from the older ones. The mummy elephants are more sensitive: if other animals or human beings try to harm or do something wrong then they will attack. Basically, it depends upon what kind of animals they encounter. However, elephants are not usually aggressive until and unless other animals mean no harm to them.
If we mess with the elephant herd then elephants can push, kick or stomp and our ribs and other bones can be broken. Not just ribs, we might die because they are heavy and very strong. You might know that on an elephant's trunk they have 40,000 to 150,000 muscles. So, if they use their trunk to hit you. You might be in the hospital.
Elephants are the biggest land mammals. So, none of the regular animal predators can kill elephants. But lions, hyenas, and crocodiles can attack the young, ill, orphaned, or wounded elephants. If young ones are not ill, they are also heavy and strong. They also can kill other animals while retaliating. People throw rocks and disturb wild elephants who are moving for food. This is not a good idea and then elephants regard others, too, as a nuisance and feel threatened. Recently, a man in Jhapa was trampled to death. He was chasing a wild elephant.
Be like an elephant, do like an elephant, love each other in a herd. Work like an elephant in a herd and listen to each other's advice. Teamwork is always successful.
