The real king of the beasts is the elephant - who fears nothing. Elephants are strict vegetarians, and live in female-dominated family herds. They are very intelligent, peaceful unless provoked, and unlike other animals, will take care of a sick or wounded family member. Elephants communicate over long distances using low-frequency sound.

Mature male elephants often wander alone or with a companion (askari, meaning foot-soldier in Swahili). A big bull elephant weighs over 6 tons, lives for about 60 years, and uses up six sets of teeth during its lifetime. Elephants eat enormous quantities of food every day - over 500 pounds (250kg) of leaves, grass, fruit and bark. Because of this, a herd is destructive if kept inside a small area such as a wildlife park. They often push over large trees to feed on the leaves. During the dry season, they dig holes in the sandy river beds, waiting patiently for the water to seep in. This is very useful for other animals who visit the hole afterwards.