Asian+Elephant

 Our two female Asian elephants are the largest animals in the Zoo. Asian elephants can weigh up to 11,000 pounds. Currently our youngest elephant, Maude, born in 1974 weighs approximately 9,900 pounds and Mary, born approximately 1947, weighs 6,900 pounds. Mary is one of the oldest Asian elephants in captivity in this country. Asian elephants are native to southeast Asia from western India through the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Asian and African elephants are both endangered. Habitat destruction and being slaughtered for their ivory has led to this fate. Now, with so much of their former habitat turned into farmlands, elephants looking for food are often killed by ranchers trying to protect their crops. Due to their large size, elephants must travel long distances to find enough food. They eat approximately 330 pounds of food per day. They are hebivores and feed on all sorts of plant matter. Their amazing trunk has over 100,000 muscles and is capable of picking up a single blade of grass or downing a large tree. Elephants have 6 sets of 4 molars throughout their lives Females tend to travel together in herds led by a matriarch. The solitary bulls will join the herd to mate. Babies are born after a 22 month gestation, the longest of any land mammal. Asian and African elephants are fairly easy to tell apart. The African's ears are larger and shaped like Africa. The Asian's are shaped a bit like India. The flesh colored freckles you see on our elephants are a trait of Asian elephants as are the two domes on the forehead and the arched back. African elephants' backs are swayed. Notice on the end of their trunks that our Asian elephants also have a one finger projection. African elephants have a two finger projection. Female Asian elephants do not get long tusks but have small ones in their mouths called tushes.
 * __Asian Elephant __**

Please help save elephants by NEVER buying ivory or endangered hardwoods such as teak. When buying furniture or building supplies look for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood label. If you don't see it, ask!

Here at the Zoo you can have an unforgettable up close encounter with our elephants every weekend at 2:15 for just $9.50 per person.

by: Samaris Cruz

__Resources:__
animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/**asian**-**elephant**.html Jackson, Peter. __Endangered Species__.17-35. London: Quintet Publishing Limited, 1990.