African elephants are the largest animals on land. However, the giant beasts are threatened by habitat loss and poaching.
Elephants are known to stick with family, even when the going gets tough.
A female elephant alerted by the sound of bees. Such buzzing can scare elephants.
An elephant family in Tanzania featuring calves and adult elephants.
An adult female African elephant, her adult daughter and related calves roam in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Elephant daughters typically remain in their natal herd for life.
A herd of Asian elephants in Malaysia’s Taman Negara National Park.
A forest elephant examines the bones of another elephant that may have been killed by a poacher. Scientist say elephants have learned to fear roads because of the things they've experienced.
Two elephants lie dead near Chad's Zakouma National Park, shot by poachers.
Mother and calf forest elephant.
Elephants aim the trunks toward something they wish to investigate, apparently helping them smell better.
A female elephant in Tanzania. Elephants can reach the ripe old age of 70.
Even newborn elephants are still some of the animal world's heftiest creatures. This baby Asian elephant, named Baylor, was born weighing 348 pounds (158 kilograms) in May 2010 at the Houston Zoo. Mom Shanti endured a pregnancy lasting almost 23 months. About two hours after birth the calf was able to stand on his own.
The savanna elephant weighs between 6 and 7 tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant.
