You know what baby elephants look like. They are born quite large and stand three feet tall. A new calf has a good sense of touch, smell, and sound. Eyesight takes longer to develop. The calf knows its mother and stays close by her side for physical security. Calves grow quickly and for several years will drink three gallons of milk a day. It takes almost a year for the calf to learn what to do with its trunk. Calves will trip over it and even suck it like a thumb! Eventually they learn how to manipulate it to eat, drink, and grasp objects. A female elephant lives with the herd for life. A male will stay for 12 to 14 years before he leaves to live on his own.