Question: So I heard something about there being a leader Elephant who's the oldest one and knows where food is but what happens when they die and how does another Elephant get this power?

Ellen Williams answered on 9 Mar 2017:

Yes you heard correct – this elephant is called the matriarch. In the wild there a few different types of elephant herd:
– related female and their offspring (family herd)
– bachelor herds (bulls of mixed age)
– lone males (usually sexually mature)

The family herd is led by a matriarch, she is usually the oldest and most experienced female. The knowledge is passed down through generations – so her mother would have shown her where they walk to get to water and food at different times of year, and her mother would have shown her how to keep the herd together. The position of matriarch is also usually passed down – so the matriarchs eldest daughter would become matriarch when she dies. Elephants live in a hierarchy society where every individual has a different ‘rank’ in the herd. The matriarch is always the highest rank, and her young will automatically rank underneath her. When a matriarch dies naturally the herd will continue with a new elephant taking her place. When elephants are killed by poachers this can cause a problem because herds can be left without any really experienced females.

Hope that answers your question but if not let me know 🙂