Fun Facts: Elephants in Samburu

Did you know...

• That in Samburu we have 66 families of Elephants, which make a total number of 750 residents’ elephants?
• During rainy seasons, the number can exceed up to 1200 individuals.
• Young baby elephants are weaned in their first year. The calf depends on the mother for three to five years

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• A new-born elephant at birth weighs 77-113 kg. But they weigh only 4% of an adult female's weight and only 2% of an adult male’s and may consume 11.4 litres of milk a day.
• They have good memories and their brain is 30-40% the size of an adult. Mothers allocate care and interact differently depending on the baby's sex.
• The young calves are tended not only by their mothers, but also by other females of the herd. 

There are many eyewitness accounts of the females in the herd gathering around to welcome the new-born.  Within minutes of the birth, the mother and other females trumpet, rumble and scream, oozing temporal secretions down the side of their faces.  During these initial minutes the mother also attempts to help the new-born rise to its feet. This is a matter of survival since the new-born must stand to drink its mother's milk. Without this necessary food, the calf is sure to perish.

Watch Samburu animals and elephant numbers in the video below.

Steven Tilas, Resident Naturalist, Samburu Intrepids Camp ©Heritage Hotels Ltd