Behind every successful elephant dynasty you'll find a wise old matriarch. What does it take to lead the herd?
ELEANOR was nearly 50 when she collapsed and died. While African elephants can live up to 70 years, female life expectancy is just 22 in her group in Samburu, Kenya, and Eleanor was the oldest member of her family – the matriarch. This made her passing particularly significant. For almost a week after her death her carcass was visited not just by members of her immediate family, but by a succession of animals from four unrelated families. Elephants are mysteriously curious about death, a response perhaps heightened when a leader dies.
It has long been clear that elephant groups rely on their elder stateswomen, but just how important these females are is only gradually becoming apparent. Matriarchs ...
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