1971 first edition hardcover with 397 pages in good secondhand condition. The dust jacket has wear around edges. Name in ink in front.

Dr SYLVIA SIKES was educated in Cambridge and London Universities. She spent her childhood in Kenya and from 1947 to 1963, she taught in various parts of Africa - Belgium Congo, colonial service in East Africa and Nigeria. From 1967 to 1969, she worked for Canadian Wildlife Service. She also studied the wildlife of Lake Chad and was consultant zoologist to Nigeria. PART I of this book deals with anatomy and health of the African elephant. PART II deals with the environment, behaviour characteristics of African elephants. PART III deals with Man's exploitation of the African elephant.
In 1964, a skeleton of Woolly Mammoth and that of straight tusked elephant were found at Aveley, Essex, England. In Africa, elephant numbers have been drastically reduced outside protected areas and in some places exterminated. The largest elephant was discovered in 1955 in Angola, 13ft 2" at the shoulder. Elephant is also described as "pachyderm" (thick skin). The 'temporin' from the temporal glands smells very much 'elephant', produced when stressed. it is very unusual to see tears running from the eyes of a wild elephant. It has circular forefoot and oval hindfoot. There is no scrotum and testes being intraabdominal, near the kidneys. In older African elephant, its tail can be 5ft long. The mouth is small and movements of mandible are limited. The record length of a tusk was 11.5ft and weight 259lbs. The elephant ivory is identified by its diamond pattern in ivory carvings. Ivory dies and splits and rots, unless kept in cool moist soil or sand.
African elephant passes 140 to 180 kg of faeces in 24 hours, each bolus weighing 1 - 2 kg. Tuskless elephants are usually very aggressive. Multiple tusks are usually caused by injury or infection to the base of the tusks. The Great elephant migrations are now no more, due to increased human populations in Africa and Asia. In drought, drinking high saline water may poison the elephant. Elephant is a wasteful feeder. Elephant wells benefit many in the animal kingdom. Like bull African elephants, cows remain sexually active to very old age. Lone bulls can become very aggressive and later marauders and rogues. Their tusks are non-conductors of electricity. The cow elephant actively washes her youngest calves. One should not block elephant's exit route, as it feels trapped. They do not tolerate snakes or driver ants.