Lifespan
60-70 years in the wild & up to 80 years under human care
60-70 years in the wild & up to 80 years under human care
Mainly browse & grass & minerals taken from salt licks
Grassland & forest
Fragmented populations in tropical Asia
Elephants in the wild can spend up to 19 hours a day feasting on a variety of plants. In southern India, elephants were to eat up to 82 different plant types.
Each of our elephants get around 150 kg of grass and leaves a day, in 20kg ‘bite-sized’ chunks every hour. Watch out for the cheeky antics of Tun – she is known to ‘steal’ food from even the matriarch of the herd, Jamilah.
While browse makes up the bulk of their diet, our elephants also enjoy the occasional fruit such as bananas, apples, watermelons, mangosteens. Sugarcane, tamarind and carrots are also given, but only as treats.
Look out for the new app-controlled feeding boxes in Chawang’s exhibit, marking our move towards activity-based exhibits. At the tap of a phone, the boxes release a ‘rain’ of peanuts and pellets. The random timings never fail to catch our 40-year-old bull by surprise.
Tusks are modified incisors of an elephant. Only male elephants have tusks, unlike the African elephants where both males and females have tusks. Elephants use tusks to strip tree bark and to dig for water and salt.
They're also valued as ivory in the illegal wildlife trade. Since 2013, eight tonnes of ivory have been seized at Singaporean ports. It’s time we take poachers to task. Say no to ivory!
As they are older, they are calmer. Except for Tun. If she’s happy, she will run around in circles. When she’s frustrated, it shows too. When we do special feedings for guests, she will reach out to get the food. She’s a greedy one!. All the guests love her.
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
Unknown risk of extinction
At relatively low risk of extinction
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
At high risk of extinction in the wild
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Survives only in captivity
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity