Reproduction

Asian Elephant2Wild females usually give birth to their first calf at about twenty years, with gestational period of almost 20-22 months. Newborns stand about one meter tall and weigh about 90-100 kilograms! Calves normally nurse for about three years, though they start to eat solid food at 7-8 months. Some nursing mothers will allow other elephants’ calves to suckle. The shortest interval between calves is about 4.5 years, though it can be much longer when faced with adverse ecological conditions, such as a decline of forests or climate instability.

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