does the elephant have a natural predator?

Answer 1

the circus people

Answer 2

Elephant Predators

Answer 3

Although the modern species of African and Asian elephants do not really have any natural predators, this was not always the case. As little as 10,000 years ago sabre-toothed cats in North America were specialized predators on mega-faunal species, including mammoths (which were more closely related to the Asian elephant than the African elephants are to the Asian elephant).

One hypothesis on why the North American mega-fauna went extinct is that human big-game hunters (the Clovis people) moved into North America, and hunted the mammoths and ground sloths into extinction, and the predators that preyed on the mega-fauna followed them into extinction.

In Africa, there were also sabre-toothed predators, such as Homotherium which could have preyed on elephants. However they went extinct more than a million years ago (related cats survived in North America until 10,000 years ago) - what caused them to go extinct in Africa when the mega-fauna survived is a matter of some debate.

So while there may not be current elephant predators, they may well have had predators in the fairly recent past.

Answer 4

A tiger can kill and eat an elephant but it isn't easy. It's not a quick kill. It is a battle that can last all through the night, over 8 hours. The tiger, having lightning reflexes, will dodge the tusks. Tigers generally do not attack elephants when food is plentiful because it is the hardest work and most dangerous predation it engages in.

Answer 5

Only a small group of lions is known to habitually target elephants as prey items. I don't know the name of the pride, but if you search the Nat'l Geographic back issues, you will find it.

Lions are basically generalists, feeding on large mammals of the African savanna. However, some prides have a preference toward particular prey, such as Cape Buffalo, Zebra and even elephants. Often they will ignore what would seem to be an easy (or safe) kill and deliberately target more dangerous prey. This doesn't always work out so well for the lions - some prides have lost large #'s of providers to cape Buffalo.

Answer 6

Adult elephants have no natural predators, but lions, hyenas and crocodiles occasionally prey upon the young.

Man is the only predator of adult elephants. Humans compete with elephants for living space and hunt them illegally for ivory and the bushmeat trade.

Answer 7

People mention lions, tigers and men with guns. I own a .460 Magnum Weatherby rifle that is good for elephants. It fires a 500 grain (1.14 ounce) bullet at 2700 feet-per-second. Would you believe that a forty pound animal has been seen attacking Cape buffalo and elephants. This creature has killed a few humans too. It goes directly for the genitals. That can disable any animal. A farmer in Africa lost many chickens to this beast. He ran out to the chicken coop one night when he heard a commotion. He had his shotgun. He shot but missed in the dark. Then, his wife heard him screaming in agony for over an hour, and she could do nothing to help him. Robert Ruark wrote a book comparing this beast to American women.

Answer 8

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Do humans count as a natural predator? If they do then the answer is yes they do have a natural predator.

Answer 9

Generally not, however I saw a special on a specific lion pride that gangs together and specializes in bringing down elephants. Pretty gruesome, but fascinating.

Answer 10

Only when they're young...and then the only thing that can normally take them down as an adult is a human with a big gun.

Although...a pack of lions might be able to take down an adult if they were really desperate and they caught it alone.

Answer 11

Human is the predator of all animals.