How long do elephants live?
Elephants in the wild typically live about 60 to 70 years. African elephants can live up to about 70 years, and Asian elephants can live similarly long in good conditions.
Elephants have long lives, similar to humans. Females usually have their first calf around age 10 to 15 and continue having calves every four to five years. Pregnancy lasts about 22 months, the longest of any land mammal. Old matriarchs, sometimes over 60 years old, are important leaders for their families.
An elephant's lifespan is partly limited by its teeth. Elephants have six sets of molars during their lives. As each set wears down from grinding plants, it is replaced by the next. When the last set wears out, usually in their 60s, elephants can struggle to eat.
Threats to elephants
Poaching for ivory, habitat loss and conflict with farmers are major threats. In zoos, elephants have historically had shorter lifespans than in protected wild areas, prompting improvements in care. The oldest recorded elephants have lived into their 80s.
Did You Know?
Elephants rarely get cancer, possibly because they have about 20 copies of a gene that helps prevent it, while humans have only one.