Animal Directory Featured species in the planned African Savannah habitat
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
EN
Fun facts
- The largest land animal on Earth — adult bulls reach 4 metres at the shoulder and weigh up to 6 tonnes.
- Lives in tight matriarchal family herds led by the eldest cow, who carries decades of memory about water and migration routes.
- Can use the tip of its trunk to pick up a single blade of grass, then swing the same trunk to uproot a small tree.
- Cools itself by flapping its ears, which are laced with blood vessels that radiate heat into the air.
- IUCN reassessed the species as Endangered in 2021 after decades of poaching pressure and habitat loss.
From the master plan
The African Bush Elephant is the species the planned African Savannah zone is designed around. The savannah loop places guests at eye level with the herd at the giraffe-feeding platform and again from the elevated overlook, with sightlines drawing the family group across the open plain.
IUCN status sourced from the African Bush Elephant assessment (Gobush et al., 2021) on the IUCN Red List —
Loxodonta africanawas reassessed from Vulnerable to Endangered in March 2021.
Find them in
Zone 02
African Savannah
Open grasslands with iconic wildlife and elevated viewing
Visit African Savannah