Fun Facts Friday: Elephant Female Fertility Elephants have one of the longest estrous cycles among land mammals, lasting 13 to 18 weeks, with just one ovulation per cycle. A female typically gives birth every five years, averaging five calves in her lifetime. Most females reach sexual maturity between 8 and 12 years old, with their first births typically occurring between 14 and 15 years in African elephants and slightly later in Asian elephants. Fertility is highest between 16 and 40, though so