Large herd of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) congregating at a waterhole, in the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa. 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 area where the calves are particularly vulnerable to predators, such as 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.