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Elephants

Animals Know Our Stars Elephants

Five female Asian elephants currently call Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay home. You can visit the herd in the Nairobi section of the park or get even closer with daily interactions at the Elephant Interaction and Husbandry Wall or on an Elephant Keeper Experience tour.

The leader of a family of elephant is a female, known as the matriarch. She is often the oldest, largest or most experienced elephant in the herd.

 

Q: What do elephants eat?

BG: Elephants eat vegetation including grasses, fruits, vegetables, leaves, and bark. You can join the animal care staff and help prepare “special treats” for the elephants at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay during an Elephant Keeper Experience.

Q: How many Asian elephants are currently left in the wild?

BG: Slightly over 35,000 Asian elephants remain in Southeast Asia. Forests are being destroyed because of the commercial demand for forest-derived products such as coffee, tea, rubber and hardwoods.

Q: How do elephants communicate with each other?

BG: Elephants can use low frequency sound waves for communication. These sounds carry for distances up to 10 miles.