More info: Pridelands conservancy is a 4500-acre former buffalo hunting farm located north-east of the town of Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, in the Lowveld Region of South Africa. The Lowveld forms part of the Savanna Biome, which is the largest biome in southern Africa, covering almost 50% of the landmass.
Elephants are highly social animals which live in large herds. Elephant intelligence is comparable to apes and dolphins and elephant are capable of many emotions including joy, grief and anxiety. Elephant herds are lead by matriarchs who pass on their knowledge to other family members. It is thought that it is possible to see if an elephant is right or left handed by the difference in wear and tear on their tusks.
Elephants are browsers and grazers and will often pull down trees which some consider destructive but in fact they are a key stone species to develop different habitats. Elephants open up thickets and create grasslands as well as dig waterholes. Adults elephants eat as much as 150 kg of vegetation and drink around 40 L of water in a day. Elephants may breed at any time when the conditions are correct and birthing intervals are about 4 to 5 years.