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African Elephant

• Range: Central, eastern and southern Africa
  
• Habitat: Savannah, scrub, forests, rivers, valleys.
  
• Height: Bulls, approx. 11 1/2 feet high at the shoulder; cows, approx. 8 ½ feet high.
  
• Weight: Bulls, 6 to 7 tons; cows, 4 to 5 tons.
  
• Diet: Predominantly grazers, mostly grass but also shoots, twigs, leaves, bark, roots and fruit. They eat 200 to 500 pounds of vegetables a day.
  
• Description: Their 6-feet-long trunk has approximately 50,000 muscles, give or take a few thousand. Tusks are constantly growing upper incisors. Life span is 60 to 65 years.
  
• Behavior: They gather in herds of 10 to 50 led by older cow. Herds are composed of cows, their young and some bulls. Young bulls in separate herds and old bulls are solitary. Wild elephants rest for short periods at night, otherwise, they move constantly. When cornered or injured, they become very aggressive.
  
• Location: Elephant Exhibit. The Kansas City Zoo currently houses seven female elephants.