The Tender Touch (Loxodonta Africana)
Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya
East Africa
The elephant is distinguished by its high level of intelligence, methods of communication, complex social structure and interesting behavior. Elephants express their emotions in different ways. Elephants can show great joy and happiness, and they can also show other emotions like grief. Elephants can also demonstrate concern for members of their families. They take care of weak or injured members and appear to grieve over a dead companion. Elephants have been known to visit the place of a deceased elephant and remain there, mourning for days.
It has been observed that elephants cover their deceased with leaves, twigs and branches. If a herd encounters a dead elephant skeleton on their travels, each will pick up a bone and hide it under a bush. Why they do this is quite a mystery, however, one theory is that spreading out these bones may deter would-be predators from their trail.
An elephant’s gestation (pregnancy) period lasts about 22 months (630 – 660 days), the longest gestation period of any mammal, after which one calf is typically born. An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family’s lactating females or suckled by various females.
Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most elephant behaviour has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years. The calf suckles with its mouth (the trunk is held over its head); when its tusks are 5 or 6 inches long, they begin to disturb the mother, and she weans her calf. – Wikipedia
The Tender Touch (Loxodonta Africana)
Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya
East Africa
The elephant is distinguished by its high level of intelligence, methods of communication, complex social structure and interesting behavior. Elephants express their emotions in different ways. Elephants can show great joy and happiness, and they can also show other emotions like grief. Elephants can also demonstrate concern for members of their families. They take care of weak or injured members and appear to grieve over a dead companion. Elephants have been known to visit the place of a deceased elephant and remain there, mourning for days.
It has been observed that elephants cover their deceased with leaves, twigs and branches. If a herd encounters a dead elephant skeleton on their travels, each will pick up a bone and hide it under a bush. Why they do this is quite a mystery, however, one theory is that spreading out these bones may deter would-be predators from their trail.
An elephant’s gestation (pregnancy) period lasts about 22 months (630 – 660 days), the longest gestation period of any mammal, after which one calf is typically born. An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family’s lactating females or suckled by various females.
Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most elephant behaviour has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years. The calf suckles with its mouth (the trunk is held over its head); when its tusks are 5 or 6 inches long, they begin to disturb the mother, and she weans her calf. – Wikipedia