F.A.Q. on Indian Elephants
Frequently Asked Questions on Elephants of
India
by K. L. Kamat and Vikas Kamat
First Online: January 02, 2003
Page Last Updated: February 17, 2024
| What is Must? |  |
|
Must (a.k.a. Musth) is state when the male elephants go into heat. The bulls become desperate
for female company and go to far distances or engage in fierce fights for
the privileges of mating. | |
| How are the elephants caught and trained ? | |
|
Traditionally the Khedda system was used to catch the wild elephants. It
was an ingenious system involving lots of people driving the
elephants to a trap, starving them, and then taming them.
These days, elephants are bred in captivity, like zoos and in
circus companies. | |
| What or how much do elephants eat? | |
|
Elephants are vegetarians.
An elephant in the wild eats about 200 to 300 kilograms of food everyday! In the process, it is said that it would destroy vegetation weighing about 1000 kilograms. Elephants in captivity are fed a mixture of processed wheat, grains, and vegetables. Elephants trained for special religious festivities in India are fed butter, sugarcane, and other favorite food specific to the elephant. Elephants also drink about 100 liters of water everyday. | |
| How much does an elephant weigh? | |
|
An average elephant weighs between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds.. | |
| What is the genus species name for elephants of India? | |
|
Elephas maximus is the binomial nomenclature (scientific name) for Indian
elephant. | |
| What is the lifespan of Asian elephant? | |
|
The life span of Asian elephants is 60 years in the wild and 80 years in captivity.
Due of poachers and adverse natural conditions the big animals have to
overcome, it is estimated that half of all elephants die before they are 15 years old, and
only one-fifth of all elephants reach the age of 30 years. | |
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See Also:
-
Kamat's Animals -- Real, imaginary, and holy Animals from India. Includes elephants, tigers, birds, insects, and other fantastic creatures.
