Herd of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) approaching the Chudop waterhole in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. African elephants are herbivores and are the world's largest and heaviest land animals. They live in a matriarchal society which is beneficial to the herd as the older females provide guidance and protection in an arid country where the calves are particularly vulnerable to predators, like lions. The experienced matriarch will also ensure that the herd finds food and water in times of drought as she will over time have developed a good understanding of the seasonal food and water sources in her range.