In the wild, elephants stay together in herds of 5 to 20individuals. There is always a leader, the strongest male. Whenthreatened, the males, normally docile, will charge their foes.When families give birth, after a gestation period of 22-24 months,she goes to a grassy, comfortable spot with a 'friend', who acts asmidwife. This friend clears up the afterbirth and placenta, andkeeps mother and baby apart. Thereare cases of mothers, confusedand exhausted, killing their new- born, if there is no friend tostop it.
There is nothing sadder than a mother elephant who givesbirth to a still born baby. She will stay with the dead body forseveral days, grieving. The life expectancy of elephants is in the70's, and many over 100 years have been reported. The usual causeof death in the wild is the teeth, which were out, and the elephantdies of slow starvation.
Elephants only sleep for three or four hours a day, usually from11pm to 3am. They simply lie down, yawning and later snoring justlike humans. Only sick elephants sleep standing up..
