African Elephants (Loxodonta africana)

The largest living land mammal

African elephants are bigger than Asian elephants. The males average a height of 3.3m and weigh an average 6 tonnes. Forest elephants, which are considered by some to be a separate, third species, tend to be smaller than African elephants that live in the savanna. The African Elephant is the largest living land mammal.

The skin of the African elephant is quite wrinkled. The long trunk has a number of rings around it and opens into 2 'fingers' at the tip. Usually, both the male and female have large tusks.

Conservation concern
There are far fewer elephants in Africa now than 50 years ago. In the past, many hundreds of thousands were killed for their ivory. Now, trading in ivory has been banned internationally, which has helped to protect elephants. WWF has worked to bring this ivory ban about and also helps to make sure nobody is trading in illegal ivory.

The African elephant still faces an uncertain future, however. Most elephants are found outside national parks which protect their habitat. As human populations in Africa grow, more land is needed for farming. Farmers fear elephants because they destroy crops. WWF is trying to help African governments find a solution to this problem.