African Elephant

(Loxodonta africana)

Three female African elephants reside at Seneca Park Zoo. Genny C and Lilac were born in South Africa in 1977 and 1978, respectively, and came to live at the Zoo in 1979. Moki was born in Zimbabwe in 1982 and joined the Zoo family in April 2015. All of our elephants respond to, and understand, more than 50 verbal commands. To date, they are the only African elephants in New York.

Animal Facts

African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, slightly larger than their Asian cousins

Upper incisor teeth develop into tusks and grow throughout their lifetime.

One way to tell an African elephant apart from their Asian counterparts is by looking at their ears

Elephants are highly social animals living in groups led by the oldest female, made up of cows, their calves and young males

Sounds, touch and posture are all ways they are known to communicate with one another

Diet

Elephants eat leaves, branches, fruit and grasses. They consume 300 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water every day.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

African elephants can be found in open forests and grasslands in Africa.

The biggest threats to African elephants are the ivory trade and habitat destruction. Poaching for meat and ivory significantly reduced the population of African elephants in the 20th century. The African elephant has governmental protection, but such poaching is still a serious threat to the species. In Africa, some people have resorted to culling large amounts of elephants to help sustain the ecosystem and reduce the elephant population. The Seneca Park Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan for the African elephant.