With reference to Indian Elephants, consider the following statements:

1. The leader of an elephant group is a female.
2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 4 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 3 and 4 only.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Elephants are matriarchal, meaning they live in female-led groups.

Statement 2 is correct

• The elephant’s gestation period is 18 to 22 months, and the calf is nursed for 2 to 4 years. The lifespan of elephants is 60-70 years in the wild.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Elephants can reproduce beyond the age of 40, with some elephants calving even in their 50s. There is no clear-cut age in Asian elephants after which further reproduction is impossible. Instead, fertility may be greatly reduced at old ages but still greater than zero.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• India is home to 60% of the Asian elephant population.
• India states with highest elephant population: 1st Karnataka (25%) > 2nd Assam > 3rd Kerala > 4th Tamil Nadu > 5th Odisha > 6th Uttarakhand.
• The Indian subspecies has the widest range among Asian elephants.
• India declared the elephant a national heritage animal by acknowledging its ecological sensitivity.

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only; Difficulty Level: Hard