Fancy Getting a Load of Red African Elephants?

Red African elephants? The largest-bodied and the highest concentration of free-ranging elephants in the entire world? Yup! Kenya claims both these coveted distinctions. More on Kenyan elephants later. First, some facts on these fascinating species...

A Primer on African Elephants

The African Bush Elephant and the African Forest Elephant are often collectively referred to as the African elephant. 37 African countries, including Kenya, are home to 470,000-690,000 elephants.

The African species are considerably bigger and have larger ears than their Asian cousins. Their trunks are 2-pronged at the tip while the Asian's are flat. The African species have three toes on each hind foot, and four toes on each front foot while the Asian species have one more toe on each foot.

Elephants are a Symbol of Kenya's Hospitality

Elephants are deeply ingrained in Kenya's psyche and are a symbol of the country's hospitality. Indeed, an elephant herd will welcome you upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya's busiest. And you really haven't been to Mombasa until you have driven through the city's giant tusk arches.

African Elephants in National Parks in Kenya

Although elephants abound in virtually all the leading national parks, the best places to experience these gigantic creatures are:

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is home to countless herds of African elephants.

And it gets better...

Amboseli's elephants are also the largest-bodied in the entire world. They also have some of the largest tusks in the world, with some weighing over 50kg each.

But it is the elephants' sheer combination of power and tenderness in equal measure that is so fascinating.

Tsavo National Parks

Tsavo's man-eating lions that terrorized and devoured the workers that constructed Kenya's only railway line back in 1898 are legendary.

The coterminous Tsavo National Parks have another feather in their cap. One, fortunately, that wont make you cringe...

Red elephants!

OK... These elephants are not born red but the volcanic red earth in the expansive national parks permanently coats their hides.

What's more, Tsavo is Elephant Country par excellence. With a population of 11,600 elephants, fully one-third of all elephants in Kenya, it is the largest habitat of elephants anywhere.

And, breathtaking views of enormous baobab trees, acacias, savanna grasslands, hills and rivers provide the perfect backdrop for a red elephant safari.

Samburu and Buffalo Springs

Owing to poaching, Samburu's elephants tend to be younger and smaller than those of say, Amboseli.

Your best bet for seeing Samburu elephants is at Ewaso Nyiro River. Because elephants' skins are thick but delicate, the soaring mid-morning temperature often forces them to swim across or drink at the river.

Masai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara vegetation explains why African elephants are particularly adept at foraging.

These species, which spend 18 hours a day feeding, eat up to 270 kg (600 lb) of vegetation a day. The result? Over the years, the Mara elephants have decimated all woodland in the park and only the river banks are lined with trees.

That said, elephants play a vital ecosystem role. For instance, seeds sprout much better after they pass through the digestive system of these giants. And in the Mara, as elsewhere, elephants also inadvertently provide water to other animals when they dig up water with their tusks during drought.

During our last Mara safari, we encountered innumerable elephants. A herd ambled across the track in front of us. We drove on to get some up-close shots. Then, the matriarch rumbled and flapped her huge ears. We quickly took this photo concentrating on some elephantine hind quarters and backed off.

Elephant Sanctuaries

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust runs a nursery in Nairobi where they nurture orphaned elephants and rhinos. The baby elephants are fed on special milk formula and cared for by their wards 24 hours a day.

My family visits the Nairobi nursery often. One of the most memorable moments is seeing a delicate little elephant wrapped in a blanket to keep her warm. Or gobbling down a 3-liter bottle of milk. Or playing in the mud.

When the calves are older, they are transferred to a rehabilitation center in the Tsavo National Park. There, they acclimatize and are eventually released into the wild.

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary is home to upwards of 150 elephants. It is a community-based conservation project that is adjacent the Shimba Hills National Reserve on the Mombasa South coast. It was set up as a mechanism to mitigate the human-wildlife conflict.

Books on Elephants in Kenya

Wildlife Wars: My Battle to Save Kenya's Elephants by Richard Leakey

In Wildlife Wars, Richard Leakey writes about how he saved Kenya's elephants from extinction. He did this by reigning in corruption and inertia at the Kenya Wildlife Service and intensifying the war against poaching in the national parks.

He also lets you in on the politics behind listing an animal as endangered under the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family by Cynthia Moss

In Elephant Memories , Moss, the foremost authority on African elephants, follows an elephant herd in Amboseli National Park for over a decade. She chronicles important phases of their lifecycles such as mating, giving birth, upbringing, migration, death and social behavior.

Coming of Age with Elephants: A Memoir by Joyce Poole

In Coming of Age , animal behaviorist Joyce Poole, who studied elephants in Amboseli National Park with Cynthia Moss, gives a captivating account of her experiences with elephants and poachers and her role in advocating for a ban in ivory trading.

Return from African Elephants to Kenya Animals

Return from African Elephants to Kenya Travel Packages Homepage