What happens to an elephant's placenta after birth? Sometimes, the female elephant will eat it. …sometimes it’s left on the ground, and the mother and calf leave as soon as the calf can walk, because the smell of the birth will attract predators and scavengers. The first omnivore or carnivore to come along will then eat it. A True Story The Elephant's Placenta and the Lucky Brothers We Maasai believe that the elephant is possibly one of the cleverest animals in existence. We have witnessed through the ages that a female elephant buries her placenta deep into the earth post giving birth. Thus, it is very rare to see an elephant’s placenta. As per our Maa culture and traditions, a person who sees an elephant placenta is considered to be a lucky human being. We believe that if we see an elephant placenta, we will be showered with blessings from all. In fact the spectacle is so rare, that it seems we can count with our fingers the number who have witnes...