With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements

With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements :

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

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 2 only” option2=”2 and 4 only” option3=”3 only” option4=”1, 3 and 4 only” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2020

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statements 3 and 4 are incorrect.

Elephant societies are matriarchal, led by the oldest and most experienced female (matriarch). The gestation period of an elephant is about 22 months, which is the longest among all mammals. Female elephants can reproduce well into their 40s and 50s, sometimes even later, so the age limit of 40 years is incorrect. According to the 2017 elephant census (and subsequent estimates), Karnataka has the highest elephant population in India, followed by Assam and then Kerala.

Elephants are keystone species and play a vital role in their ecosystems. Conservation efforts in India focus on protecting their habitats and corridors, mitigating human-elephant conflict, and preventing poaching.

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