kritterspaw

Africa has the highest concentration of elephants in the world, boasting about 400,00 across the continent with 30% of that, about 130,000 in Botswana alone. On our recent trip to Botswana it would be difficult to NOT see elephants.

And elephants we saw, throughout our stay in the Tuli Wilderness.

Elephants can live up to 80 years, and travel in herds led by the oldest female, or matriarch. The young stay with the herd for around 4 years, with the females staying with the herd her entire life.

Elephants are herbivores, eating tree bark, twigs, leaves, grass, and fruit. An adult elephant can eat around 500 pounds of food per day.

They drink water by sticking their trunk in to stream beds and sucking the water into their mouth. Their trucks are used as their mouth, nose, and hands, using them to affectionally touch their young, carry sticks, and pull leaves and twigs off trees.

Elephants play a vital role in their environment by thinning the forests of trees, making way for new trees and growth for other animals. They forge new trails with their massive bulk, enlarge waterholes, and create habitat for smaller animals through their digging in the ground.

It was a treat to see them in their environment and their behavior up close and personal. An experience I will remember always.

See my other posts from Africa … https://kritterspix.com/2026/09/16/who-let-the-cat-out/, https://kritterspaw.com/2026/09/16/wild-africa/, and https://kritterspix.com/2026/09/16/birds-gone-wild/