African elephants are the world’s largest land creatures. Their herds go over 37 African countries. Their trunk, which is utilized for communication and object processing, is immediately identifiable. Elephants are considered a cultural symbol in some African communities. They are under threat due to the loss of their natural habitat.
African elephants’ upper incisor teeth evolve into tusks and continue to grow throughout their lives. African elephants are divided into two types: savanna (or bush) elephants (Loxodonta africana africana) and forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). The respective types differ in several ways, but the most noticeable is that savanna elephants have bigger tusks that bend outwards than forest elephants.
African Countries With Elephants
The countries you can see elephants in Africa are Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia. The specific game reserves and national parks in these countries that these elephants are found are:
Where To See Elephants in Kenya
1. Masai Mara Game Reserve
The Masai Mara National Reserve, in south-west Kenya, is a wide beautiful expanse of gently rolling African savannah grasslands that stretches for 1510 square kilometers and borders Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to the south.
Masai Mara is a remarkable wildlife preservation paradise known for its stunning natural diversity of species. It is also a top Kenya Safari destination in East Africa and is one of the best places to view the Great Migration.
More than 400 species of bird, 24 species of mammal, 11 species of reptile and 5 species of amphibian can be seen here. The African elephant can be easily be seen in this place. As you research on the best Masai Mara safari packages, be reassured that you will not be disappointed when you visit this place on a Kenyan safari
2. Amboseli National Park
The national park of Amboseli extends over 392 square kilometers and is dominated by acacia forest, rocky thorny bush, wetlands marshes, and a Pleistocene lake. It is located in the northwestern direction of Mount Kilimanjaro on the Kenyan-Tanzanian border.
Amboseli National Area is home to approximately 80 distinct species of wildlife, notably African elephants, African buffalo, impalas, lions, zebras, and wildebeest, among several other African creatures. However, the park is best known for its high population of elephants.
3. Samburu National Reserve
The Samburu National Reserve is a premier game reserve in Northern Kenya, located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River. The Ewaso Ng’iro River, which divides it from the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, runs through this enormous tract of remote virgin wilderness, which spans 165 square kilometers.
The Beisa Oryx, Grevy Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich and Gerenuk are just a few of the unusual animals found in the Samburu Reserve. In addition, the reserve is host to about 900 African elephants.
4. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Northern Kenya is home to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. It was established in 1995. It is a wildlife refuge that spans over 62,000 acres and includes the Ngare Ndare Forest.
The severely endangered black rhino and the endangered Grevy’s zebra, as well as elephants, lions, giraffes, wild dogs, and other famous Kenyan wildlife species, call Lewa home. The Conservancy is also home to over 400 different bird species.
5. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
In Kenya, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust runs an orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program. Dame Daphne Sheldrick founded it in 1977 to celebrate her late husband, David Sheldrick.
Where To See Elephants in Tanzania
Elephants can be seen in Tanzania in the following national parks: Tarangire and Serengeti National park
1. Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is located in northern Tanzania, south of Lake Manyara, in the Manyara area. If you want to see more wildlife and less visitors while traveling, this is a wonderful option. Tarangire is a protected region with large elephant herds, vast grasslands, and some magnificent Baobab trees.
It has northern Tanzania’s greatest elephant population, with some herds numbering in the hundreds. The ideal time to visit is during the dry season, when the Tarangire River (which runs through the park) serves as the only reliable supply of water for miles around, attracting elephants and other creatures from other natural areas.
Although some areas of the river are always full of water, others dry up during the dry season. To cope with the drought, Tarangire’s elephants have developed a distinctive behavior. They can identify water running beneath the surface via receptors in their trunks, then dig down to it using their tusks. This is referred to as “sand-drinking.”
2. Serengeti National Park
Elephants in Serengeti National Park are among the most well-known species in the park, having been seen for many years and being one of the big five animals. Elephants are one of the “big five” wildlife species which can be seen in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park
Tourists can visit the Serengeti National Park to witness these massive animals using a variety of modes of transport, including road and air. The Serengeti national park is accessible by road from Arusha. Tourists can also visit Serengeti National Park by flying to one of the park’s various airstrips, such as Seronera Airstrip.
Where To See Elephants in South Africa
In South Africa, the Kruger National Park and the Addo Elephant park are some of the best places to see the African elephant
1. Kruger National Park
According to a 2019 census, the Kruger National Park, South Africa’s largest protected area, has a herd of just under 20 000 elephants. If conditions are favorable, their populations could surpass 23 000 in the next 5 years at the current rate of increase.
2. Addo Elephant Park
The Addo Elephant National Park is situated in South Africa’s deep Eastern Cape bush. It provides guests with great elephant viewing opportunities in a malaria-free area. More than 550 elephants, as well as Cape Buffalo lions, Black Rhinos, and several antelope species such as Eland, Kudu, and Red Hartebeest, live in the park.
Where To See Elephants in Botswana
Botswana is home to the world’s biggest elephant population, with over 130,000 elephants residing within its borders, making it one of the final sanctuaries for African elephants as poaching threatens to devastate numbers.
Elephants can be found across northern Botswana, including the Okavango Delta, Chobe, Linyanti, and the Tuli Block on the eastern border.
1. Chobe National Park
Elephants are associated with Chobe National Park; you cannot visit Chobe without seeing elephants! Chobe is home to a significant number of elephants, arguably Africa’s greatest elephant population. This is, without a doubt, one of the best spots in Africa to see wild elephants.
Chobe can be reached by boat or automobile. Boat rides along the riverbank provide a different insight, as you can observe elephants playing, drinking, and swimming throughout the islands, their trunks serving as snorkels.
The ideal time to see elephants is from late May to mid-November, when they are most active. Many of the nearby water holes have dried up, leaving the Chobe River as the primary source of water for many of the animals.
2. Okavango Delta
Throughout the year, elephants abound in the Okavango Delta. Being a permanent home for enormous populations, going on a game drive from any of the camps without spotting a large number would be pretty unlucky.
Small family herds of 5-30 elephants or enormous loan bulls are more common in the Chobe and Linyanti than the massive herds seen in the Chobe and Linyanti.