Indian
elephants are also known as Asian elephants and are present in India in
larger numbers. From India it was distributed from India to Borneo, where
now only slim population is exist. Indian elephant is not considered a wild
in India and can be seen in even in the busy streets of many well developed
cities. Indian elephant plays an important ecological and cultural role in
Asia.
Indian elephants are basically nomadic mammals and their habitat varies.
Although their favorite place of living is scrub forested area. They are
more prone to live in jungles but due to human intrusion in jungles and
sliming the green zones, they are gradually shifted to open space and grass.
In India elephant numbers have tripled in the last 3 years.
Elephants are herbivores and a voracious eater. They can spend 20 hours in
a day to clean all the fodder, grass and all greens, which they find in
their way. In addition they drink at least 22 gallons of water every day.
The combined length of small and large intestine is about 100ft and take 24
hours to digest a meal. They prefer to feed on grass but they also eat bark,
roots and leaves. They also destroy many of cultivated land and love to eat
rice, bananas and sugar cane. Their group consists of 2 to 10 female
elephant and their offspring. Offspring are attached with female elephants
and starts to move out of their group when they attain the age of 6-7 years.
Male elephants are solitary animal and get contact with a group in the time
of mating. They have a special characteristics of spreading musth, a scent
that prepare for the intense competition for female and mating right.
Size And Physical Characteristics
Indian elephants are much smaller in size than their African cousins. They
reach up to a height of 10 feet and weigh about 7000-11000 pounds. Large and
heavy feet with slow pace is trademark of an elephant. They have thick sole
that absorb shock and cushion legs when walking and running. Male elephants
have protruded incisors that commonly known as tusks or ivories. They can be
5 feet in length. They are useful tool for elephants as these tusks help
them to dig, clear debris and carry logs up to 1 ton in weight. Other
animal, which has a tusks is Walrus. The skin color of Indian elephants is
dark grey to brown with patches of pink on their forehead, the ears, the
base of the trunk and chest.
Elephant sometimes scrapes the ground with
its forefeet when grasses are too short, they have this strange habit of
rubbing the ground until a loose pile of of grasses is formed, then sweeps
the pile with their ivories.
Indian
Elephants In India
Periyar National Park -
The
Periyar national park is located in the hills of western ghats of
south India. it is located in the Indian state Kerala spread over the 777
sq.km and flaunt a picturesque lake in the middle of the park. There are
plenty of flora and fauna to be seen this park. Main attractions are tiger,
nilgiri tahr, nilgiri langur and the Indian elephants. The elephants
strolling inside the park in a group create a major attraction among
tourists.
Bandipur National Park - Bandipur national park is a beautiful
forest located in Karnataka. Spreading over an area of 865 sq.kms , Bandipur
is a tiger reserve. Bandipur is special place for Indian elephants, beside
elephants, sambar, spotted deer,gaur, flying squirrel, golden jackal sloth
bear and many more. The best seasons to visit the Bandipur National Park is
between the months of April and October.
Kaziranga National Park
- Kaziranga national park is renowned for rhinos. The place is one of the
world heritage site. Apart from rhinos there are plenty of other animals
that lure thousands of visitors every month. Kaziranga national park is
situated in Assam and spread over 430 sq.km. The national park is known for
the park of giants because of its huge dwellers like
rhinos, wild buffaloes, sambar deer, swamp deer, tigers and of course
Indian elephants. There you can also take elephant safari for strolling
around the park. The place is in the region of high rainfall zone and best
time to visit the place is during November to April.
Kanchenjunga National Park- The place is located in the picturesque
valley of Sikkim and span over an area of 850 sq.kms. the place is also
called biosphere reserve. The park is a home of some very endangered species
like musk deer, snow leopard, and Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear, red
panda, rattle snake and russell viper. The place is a home of Indian
elephants. The place is also an ideal place for
trekking.
The best seasons to encounter the wildlife of the national park is between
April to May and August to October.
Facts About Indian Elephants
Scientific Name - Elephas maximus
Subspecies - E.m.maximus, E.m.indicus, E.m.sumatranus.
Life Span - Asian elephants live for 70 years.
Statistics - Body Length: 5.5-6.40m, Shoulder height: 2.5-3m,
Weight: Male: 5000kg, Female: 3000kg, Tail length: 1-1.3m.
Diet: Vegetarian diet including grasses, bamboo, bark, succulent
climbers, legumes, creepers and palms.
Distribution: India, Sri Lanka and further south and east as far as
Sumatra
Reproduction: Give birth to one calf after a gestation period of
18-22 months (every three to four years).
Conservation Status: Asian elephants are classified as Endangered
