How Much Food Does an Elephant Eat?
Asian elephants are grazers (Africans are browsers). A full-grown, Asian elephant eats approximately 150-200 pounds of food and drinks 30-50 gallons of water, every day. Both Asian and African elephants will walk 50 miles daily in search of food, water and preferred climate. In our growing season (9 – 10 months out of the year) our elephants graze 75% of their diet which consists of grasses, leaves, wild berries, vines, bamboo (cane), root plants, and wild vegetation. The remaining 25% of their diet consists of timothy hay, specially formulated elephant grain, rolled oats, ground corn & assorted produce. In the non-growing season, the elephants browse 20-25% of their diet which consists of tree bark and young branches, acorns, winter berries, vines — especially grape vines and bamboo. The remaining 75% of their diet consists of timothy hay, specially formulated elephant grain, rolled oats, ground corn and assorted produce.
