The African elephant is the largest animal walking the Earth and is known for its superior intelligence as well as its structured social order. One of the main characteristics of the social order in the herd is that males and females live entirely different and separate lives. The elephant herd is led by the oldest and largest female cow known as the matriarch. She is usually the one who was the most closely related to the previous matriarch. The rest of the herd is made up of the matriarch's other daughters and their calves with the young baby elephants staying with their mum for up to 10 years. The males, on the other hand, live apart from the matriarchal herd and travel alone or with other males in a bachelor pod. The drift from the herd starts during adolescence, at which time the young bulls start to spend less and less time with the herd. Eventually, the break is made completely. After this distance is established, the bulls will live solitary lives, mingling with the females of the family only for mating purposes. As a result of the elephant’s rigid social structures and norms, they can form close bonds with those within their immediate herd and family, with females benefitting particularly from this security. This allows an enormous degree of trust and sanctuary within the herd. There have been many astounding reports of lifelong bonds between elephants that have transcended time and even distance apart!