 Some of the adulthood-cycle experiences of an elephant are very similar to
that of a human. Both will continue to reproduce until mid-life; a cow typically produces a single calf, and will have babies up to around fifty years old. The elephant also experiences post-reproductive symptoms. In
the case of females, they experience a long post-reproductive phase which is similar to human menopause.
The interval between births typically ranges between two and a half to four years. This is primarily  due to the elephant´s very long gestation period. It is not hard to
understand why a mother and her family become so attached to the baby infant given the 22 months she carries it around. The faithful day is one filled with joy for the whole family. This includes family
members crowding around the mother and her new-born greeting him/her with joyous rumbles, heads and ears high, temporal gland secretions streaming down the sides of their faces, and of course
urinating. An event that can only be described as true joy and celebration; each elephant shares in
the excitement of the new-born that has joined the world.  The adult elephant also experiences similar adult human illnesses which are attributed to age. The elephant can suffer from cardiovascular problems, as well as suffering from the
age-related arthritis. Despite these age-related illnesses, the elephant can live a long natural life if it is not poached or culled. The average life span of an elephant is about
70 years. During their long lives the female herds will continue to nurture their young, while the male herds roam great distances in search of female herds. They continue to
be active reproductively up to approximately fifty years old. Their life span, as described by the section on teeth, is limited to the fact that once their last tooth wears
out they will essentially starve to death. It is possible for an elephant to live seventy years or more. |
