Mana Pools is a national park in Zimbabwe famous for its large elephant population, and it is one of the few places where you can observe elephants on foot. A unique behavior exhibited by some bull elephants here is standing on their hind legs to reach food in trees, a skill learned during past droughts. Some of these elephants, such as the famous bull Boswell, are well-known and have become iconic figures.
This video shows the behavior of elephants in Mana Pools, including standing on their hind legs to reach food:
Iconic behavior: Bull elephants at Mana Pools have developed the habit of standing on their hind legs to eat from trees, a behavior that allows them to access food high up on branches, especially during the dry season.
Famous elephants: Elephants like Boswell and Tusker are well-known for this behavior and have become something of celebrities, with Boswell even being tracked by rangers.
Unique experience: Mana Pools is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers a remote safari experience where you can walk among the wildlife, providing very close and intimate encounters with elephants and other animals.
Elephant population: The park is home to one of the largest concentrations of elephants in the country, with more than 12,000 elephants inhabiting the area.
Ecological impact: The presence of these large elephant herds has significantly altered the landscape, with their feeding habits shaping the environment.
The sanctuary, one of the only two pockets of nyala in the country, is also home to 16 000 buffalo and more than 12 000 elephant - Zimbabwe's largest concentration after Hwange. Many female elephants in the region do not have tusks and are much more aggressive than those with tusks.
The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of three extant elephant species and, along with the African forest elephant, one of two extant species of African elephant. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with fully grown bulls reaching an average shoulder height of 3.04–3.36 metres (10.0–11.0 ft) and a body mass of 5.2–6.9 tonnes (5.7–7.6 short tons); the largest recorded specimen had a shoulder height of 3.96 metres (13.0 ft) and an estimated body mass of 10.4 tonnes (11.5 short tons). The African bush elephant is characterised by its long prehensile trunk with two finger-like processes; a convex back; large ears which help reduce body heat; and sturdy tusks that are noticeably curved. The skin is grey with scanty hairs, and bending cracks which support thermoregulation by retaining water.
The African bush elephant inhabits a variety of habitats such as forests, grasslands, woodlands, wetlands and agricultural land. It is a mixed herbivore feeding mostly on grasses, creepers, herbs, leaves, and bark. The average adult consumes about 150 kg (330 lb) of vegetation and 230 L (51 imp gal; 61 US gal) of water each day. A social animal, the African bush elephant often travels in herds composed of cows and their offspring. Adult bulls usually live alone or in small bachelor groups. During the mating season, males go through a process called musth, a period of high testosterone levels and heightened aggression. For females, the menstrual cycle lasts three to four months, and gestation around 22 months, the longest of any mammal.
Since 2021, the African bush elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is threatened foremost by habitat destruction, and in parts of its range also by poaching for meat and ivory. Between 2003 and 2015, the illegal killing of 14,606 African bush elephants was reported by rangers across 29 range countries. Chad is a major transit country for smuggling of ivory in West Africa. This trend was curtailed by raising penalties for poaching and improving law enforcement. Poaching of the elephant has dated back to the 1970s and 80s, which were considered the largest killings in history. In human culture, elephants have been extensively featured in literature, folklore and media, and are most valued for their large tusks in many places.
The African bush elephant is the largest and heaviest living land animal. Under optimal conditions where individuals are capable of reaching full growth potential, fully grown mature males are about 3.20 m (10.5 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh 6.0 t (6.6 short tons) on average (with 90% of fully grown males under optimal conditions being between 3.04–3.36 m (10.0–11.0 ft) and 5.2–6.9 t (5.7–7.6 short tons)). Mature fully grown females are smaller at about 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in) tall at the shoulder and 3.0 t (3.3 short tons) in weight on average under optimal growth conditions (with 90% of fully grown females ranging between 2.47–2.73 m (8 ft 1 in – 8 ft 11 in) and 2.6–3.5 t (2.9–3.9 short tons) in optimal conditions).[17][18][19][20] The maximum recorded shoulder height of an adult bull is 3.96 m (13.0 ft), with this individual having an estimated weight of 10.4 t (11.5 short tons). Another individual with a similar weight of more than 10 t (9.8 long tons; 11 short tons) was found in Kenya in 2025, making it one of the largest elephants ever recorded. Elephants attain their maximum stature when they complete the fusion of long-bone epiphyses, occurring in males around the age of 40 and females around 25 years of age.
Both sexes have large, curved, maxillary incisors known as tusks that continue growing throughout their lives. In the wild, a large percentage of elephants experience a tusk fracture, although this is more prevalent in captivity. A tusk fracture of any sort usually results in serious infections, as the pulp is exposed to the elements. The tusks erupt when they are 1–3 years old. Tusks grow from deciduous teeth known as tushes that develop in the upper jaw and consist of a crown, root and pulpal cavity, which are completely formed soon after birth. Tushes reach a length of 5 cm (2.0 in). They are composed of dentin and coated with a thin layer of cementum. Their tips bear a conical layer of enamel that is usually worn off when the elephant is five years old. Tusks of bulls grow faster than tusks of cows. Mean weight of tusks at the age of 60 years is 109 kg (240 lb) in bulls and 17.7 kg (39 lb) in cows. The longest known tusk of an African bush elephant measured 3.51 m (11.5 ft) and weighed 117 kg (258 lb).
The African bush elephant occurs in sub-Saharan Africa which includes Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Mozambique and South Africa. It moves between a variety of habitats, including subtropical and temperate forests, dry and seasonally flooded grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, and agricultural land from sea level to mountain slopes. In Mali and Namibia, it also inhabits desert and semi-desert areas.
Populations of African bush elephants are increasing in some areas such as the Kruger National Park, where an annual growth of 4.2% was recorded between 2003 and 2015. There are estimated to be at least 17,000 elephants in the park's vicinity, as of 2015–the most of any area in South Africa. The increase in population occurred after the discontinuation of culling in the mid-1990s. This large elephant population is considered a problem to both the environment and its creatures. As such, with the use of natural processes, conservationists aim to control the ever-growing population. In other places in southern Africa, the elephant population continues to increase. Botswana in particular hosts more African bush elephants than any other country, at 130,000. In a 2019 study, populations were found to be steady, though the authors also noted an unusual increase in carcasses, possibly due to a new wave of poaching which was uncommon at the time.
