- Related Scientific Publications
- Adopt an Asian Elephant!
- See Asian Art at the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries
- AZA Elephant Species Survival Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
Every day, National Zoo elephant keepers answer questions from hundreds of visitors. Here’s a sampling of the most frequently asked questions about Asian elephants at the Zoo.
Why is an elephant sometimes alone?
It is important that all of the elephants are comfortable with being alone. There are many reasons that this may be necessary, but most often it is for medical procedures. Each elephant is conditioned to being separated for a short time from the other elephants.
Why are there no adult males at the Zoo?
In elephant societies, adult males and females do not live together. Related females and their young live in close-knit social herds. Juvenile males leave the herd in their early teens when they become sexually mature. These juvenile males will sometimes form loose-knit bachelor herds and live on the periphery of the female herds. As the young males mature into adulthood, they become very independent and no longer live with other males.
The ability of female elephants to survive and successfully reproduce depends on females cooperating to protect their family. In contrast, bull elephants compete with one another for access to potential female mates. As a result, bulls live apart from other elephants. Because males behave competitively with females and, in zoos, with their keepers, they need to be managed very differently from females. And, because adult males are so strong, a zoo facility for adult males must be specially fortified to contain them.
Right now, we are designing a new elephant facility with special housing and yards to support one or two adult males. This will enable us to keep Kandula at the Zoo into his adulthood. The new facility also includes a spacious indoor community area so the females can be together both inside and outside.
How much do the elephants weigh?
- Ambika weighs about 7,600 pounds.
- Shanthi weighs at least 9,000 pounds.
- In March, Kandula weighed about 4,250 pounds, and is still a growing boy, expected to reach 10,000 pounds or more by the time he is an adult.
How much do the elephants eat?
 |
| Hay forms the bulk of Zoo elephants' diet, which also includes veggies and fruit. |
Our elephants each eat between 125 and 175 pounds of food a day. The bulk of their diet is hay. They also eat fruits, vegetables, and a fortified pellet food. In the wild, where they must expend a great deal more energy to find food, elephants eat two to three times this amount of plant material, from grass to trees.
When do the elephants eat?
The elephants are fed their diet in small portions throughout the day to mimic their wild pattern of eating throughout the day. They almost always have hay available to them. They are fed at routine times, but not on a schedule for public viewing. You can, however, tune into the web cams to watch the elephant bath at 10:30 a.m. and the training demo at 11 a.m. The elephants are fed after each of these demos.
Our elephants are given browse—small and large branches of various trees. Visitors ask,
Do the elephants eat branches? Do they eat the whole thing?
They eat all of the smaller branches. They strip the bark from the larger branches and break off whatever small pieces they can. In the wild, this would be a part of an elephant's natural diet as well as grass and other plant material.
Why can’t the elephants go outside?
 |
| Keepers keep elephants indoors for bath time. |
Most often, the elephants can go outside anytime they want. Except during very cold weather, the doors to their outdoor areas are left open. Given the choice of being inside or out, the elephants often choose inside. Keepers may also close the doors and keep elephant inside for short periods so they can work with them, bathe them, clean their yard, clean their pool, and the like. (See the next question.)
Why does Shanthi sway back and forth on her front legs?
This is normal behavior for Shanthi. We think it indicates her anticipating a regular and expected event in her daily routine, like a feeding or a training session, or her bath. She also does this when Kandula is seeking independence and is out of her reach.
Do elephants lie down to sleep?
Elephants may lie down to sleep, usually for a couple hours. This generally happens at night. They also sleep standing up. During the day they often take short, standing naps. Altogether, they sleep about six hours per day.
What is that pink stuff on the elephant's trunk?
 |
| Pink areas on an elephant's trunk are normal. |
That is natural coloration for Asian elephants. The pink areas lack pigmentation. Individual elephants have different amounts of non-pigmented areas. As they age, many elephants lose pigmentation around the trunk, ears, and neck. De-pigmentation is not, however, a good indication of an animal’s age. Similarly, some people’s hair goes gray earlier than others.
What is that tool in the keeper's hand?
 |
| Keepers use a tool called an elephant hook to help train elephants. |
The keepers use two main tools to work with or train elephants: an elephant hook and a target. Elephants are conditioned to move away from the hook and toward the target. For example, if the keeper wants to teach an elephant to pick up its foot, the keeper touches the back of the elephant’s foot with the hook and says "foot." The elephant naturally wants to move away from the hook and so lifts its foot. As soon as it does, the keeper stops touching with the hook and probably gives the elephant a piece of food as reward. Soon the elephant knows that when the keeper says "foot" it is supposed to lift its foot.
Is the elephant hook sharp?
Yes. It is sharp so that the elephant wants to move away from its touch. It is not, however, designed or allowed to injure an elephant or puncture the skin.
