Before I start this review I must once again thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for donating this review sample. The quality of Toymany’s figures, their relatively inexpensive price point, and their willingness to engage with, and take thoughts and comments by, the toy animal collector community shows why they are a quickly rising star in our hobby!
The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest extant terrestrial animal, so it should be no surprise that females of the species give birth to the largest terrestrial babies, weighing 100-120 kg at birth. African bush elephants breed year round; there are no seasonal patterns. Elephant cows typically only have one baby at a time, but in rare circumstances, twins may be born. The gestation period is about 22 months. When a cow is about to give birth, she sometimes leaves her herd and gives birth in isolation. Shortly after, she returns to her herd. When she does, all members of the herd inspect the baby thoroughly. In other instances, the herd appears to assist with the birth, as if providing the expectant mother with some support. Elephant herds are typically governed by a matriarch and they form strong familial bonds. When a baby dies, the mother may stay with it for a while. Baby elephants are weaned at four months, but may continue drinking their mother’s milk for up to three years. Elephants usually gain full independence at about 8 years old. Today we will be looking at a baby African bush elephant by Toymany, the third in their 2024 Baby Wildlife set that I have covered. Like the baby hippopotamus I reviewed last time, there is no shortage of toy baby elephants available, so let’s see how the Toymany model fares!
The model stands 4.5 cm at the shoulder. Without knowing a more precise age, I cannot calculate a scale, but it does scale fairly well with the 2022 bull elephant by CollectA that has a shoulder height of approximately 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:32-1:42 (the far end of that range is based on the maximum measured shoulder height of 3.96 meters).
As with the other two baby animals I reviewed, there is no shortage of detail in such a small figure. Fine wrinkles and other textures cover most of the body, including lines around the eyes. Even the toenails are individually sculpted. Interestingly, the calf has a similar pose to the aforementioned CollectA bull, with its right front leg slightly off the ground as if walking. The ears are in a neutral post and the trunk is out front, bending down and slightly to the animal’s right.
The color is a typical grey we see with many toy elephants, a little paler than the CollectA model (which allows for individual variation in a collection). There is a light brown wash on the sides and inside the ears. The tip of the tail and trunk have a dark wash. The eyes are black and the toenails a lighter grey.
Overall this is a very well executed baby elephant. It’s size in comparison with the CollectA model means it can fit into the popular scale collections of 1:32 and 1:40. I wasn’t sure what I would think of it at first, since the African elephant is such an ‘A, B, C’ animal, but in reviewing it, it is super detailed and looks great next to the aforementioned CollectA model! Available individually or as part of the complete set on Toymany’s website. Also, you can use the discount code TMAFBM10 when ordering directly from Toymany’s website and receive a 10% discount.
