How Long Do Elephants Live?

If you are ever in the zoo and you walk past an elephant, you may wonder about the lifespan of an elephant. Elephants have long been considered endangered species. With the abundance of poachers around, elephants have been hunted by humans for their ivory tusks. The longevity of an elephant is dependant, in part, on the breed of elephant. There are two types of elephants that walk the earth: African and Asian.

Elephants have an average life expectancy of between 36 and 70 years. The length of time they live can depend on:

Breed of Elephant - African elephants which are poached in the wild can live from 36-56 years depending on their habitat. Asian elephants which are not as likely to be poached can live for 60 to 70 years.

Habitat - Longer life expectancies of both breeds of elephant can be found in contemporary zoos, where an artificial habitat is created and the elephants are nurtured, nourished, and medically attended to. 

In zoos, proper breeding techniques are performed which aids in boosting the actual numbers of both African and Asian elephants on a global scale.

African Elephant

Also known by their scientific name of loxodonta Africana, the African elephant is a robust animal. Standing up to a maximum of 10 feet tall, the African elephant can weigh anywhere from four to six tons. 

The African elephant has long been hunted for its ivory tusks, and while hunting has been outlawed in many countries in Africa, the poaching business is still, unfortunately, alive and well. In the past several years, it had been reported that African elephants as a species are endangered. 

There has been a 50% reduction (and or elimination via poaching and hunting) in the amount of African elephants on the planet. The more that they are around humans, the less likely the elephants are expected to reach older ages.

Asian Elephant

The Asian Elephant is also known by its scientific name elephas maximus, the Asian Elephant is not quite as massive as the African Elephant. It can only reach a maximum of ten feet tall, followed by a twenty foot length. Additionally, unlike the African Elephant, the Asian Elephant will only weigh up to an estimated 10,000 pounds. 

While Asian Elephants are rarely poached (simply because it is rare for them to have tusks and China has a death sentence for poachers in place), they are considered endangered because they are sharing their natural habitat with humans. 

Natural herbivores, Asian Elephants maintain a diet of grasses, leaves, trees and shrubs. This factor in addition to their lifestyle may be attributed to why Asian Elephants have a much longer lifespan.

Similarities and Differences

Physically, the African elephant is bigger than the Asian elephant. Additionally, the African elephant has more prominent features regarding head shape, ear length and tusk prominence. Their ears tend to be huge and reach far over their necks; they have wrinkled skin, and both males and females have tusks. 

Asian elephants, on the other hand, are much smaller with less prominent features.  For example, the Asian elephant’s have ears that are small and straight, often has depigmentation on the face, smooth textured skin, and a crumpled head shape.

Oddly enough, Asian and African elephants cannot be interbred. This was tried once back in the 1970s, and after only two weeks, the baby elephant died.