Tsavo elephant research maintains individually recognized elephant data to monitor behavioral patterns to determine trends in behavior. Many of these bulls and families have been monitored for more than a decade and some individuals for 20 + years.
Elephant Identification
Each individual is named and entered into a database. Photographic data are used to re-identify individuals in the field. The features that distinguish one individual from another include Ears: notches, holes, broken; Tusks: shape (wide, long), broken, one tusk, tuskless; Tail: crooked, hair (long, hairless) or none; Trunk: tip or section missing and Body: growths, lumps. Age (birth year ± 2 years) is estimated by shoulder height, hind footprint measurements and long-term photographic records of growth. Identification photographs are taken yearly and when possible hind footprint length measurements are taken again. Photographs are taken when features change: tusks (broken, lost), ears (hole, notches) or tail hair (absence or length).
Known Individual Databases
Three linked databases (bulls, females and sightings) are maintained to monitor life histories of each individually recognized adult elephant. As of 2025 there are 737 known bull and family members in the Tsavo Elephant Databases. Data on new elephants are constantly being added to the databases.
The Bull Database provides data to monitor known bull health, age, musth periods and survival (mortality data). As of 2025 there are 400 independent bulls in the database. Database fields include: name, identification photograph date, location, age and distinct features. Musth cycles: date, physical and behavioral characteristics.
The Female Database provides data to monitor female health, age, survival (mortality data), offspring: sex ratio, calf interval and calf survival. As of 2025 there are 337 adult females in the database. Database fields include: name, identification photograph date, location, age and distinct feature. Reproductive Status: offspring; date of birth, sex, estimated conception month, tusks visible-date and survival.
The Sighting Database contains information to monitor activity, habitat use, distribution, range, core areas, group composition, associations, behaviors, interactions and vocalizations. Data are collected on the habitat in which the elephants are found: open grassland, riverine, hills and bush-grass and the state of the vegetation: greenness.