With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements : 1. The leader of an elephant group is a female. 2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months. 3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only. 4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Option (a) is correct because elephant herds are matriarchal, led by the oldest female, and they possess the longest gestation period of any land mammal at approximately 22 months. Statement 4 is the most tempting error, but according to the 2017 Elephant Census, Karnataka has the highest population in India, followed by Assam and Kerala. The core concept tested is the biological behavior and demographic distribution of India’s National Heritage Animal.