Tag: Elephants

Watch: Entire elephant herd becomes quiet as it listens for danger

An elephant herd frolics in a watering hole at an elephant orphanage until one elephant becomes spooked. The mood changes dramatically.

An elephant herd frolics in a watering hole at a South African elephant orphanage until one elephant becomes spooked.

As a result, the herd stops what it is doing, walks out of the water and becomes still and completely quiet as it listens for danger.

Video captured by HERD, an elephant orphanage built in 2019, shows how elephants stick together.

“There are many things that can put an elephant into a state of alarm; wild elephants and other wildlife—their scents and not just presence can alarm our herd,” the commentary written on the video states.

“When the elephants feel secure that nothing is endangering them, or any member of their family, they go back to swimming.”

As seen in the video, the herd becomes perfectly still as they wait to determine when the coast is clear. The quietness occurs about the 4:20 mark.

About 20 seconds later, the elephants resume their activity.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Elephant celebrates own freedom on July 4th

“HERD is the first dedicated South African elephant orphanage,” the HERD website states. “The unfortunate truth is that there are an ever-increasing number of orphaned and displaced elephant calves in South Africa. This is linked to the rising poaching numbers, taking mothers away from their calves before they can fend for themselves in the wild. And that’s where HERD comes in, acting as their unique adoptive family to help raise them in a safe environment.”

Photo courtesy of HERD.

‘Forest landlord’ halts produce truck to collect highway tax

Social-media followers chime in after photo emerges showing a large elephant claiming its share of goods from a transport vehicle.

In July we published a story that referenced a massive shark bite on a giant hooked tuna as collection by the “taxman.”

Since then we’ve mentioned other instances involving sharks being referred to by frustrated anglers, jokingly, as tax collectors.

Apparently, that label can also apply to elephants.

On Monday, a member of the Indian Forest Service shared the accompanying image showing a large female elephant using her towering frame and trunk to poach produce from a truck.

“Tax Deduction at Source,” Parveen Kaswan joked via X.

One follower described the truck’s contents as sugarcane.

“And no paperwork necessary!” another person remarked, before adding: “She’s way cuter than bureaucrats!”

Another follower referred to the incident as “forceful tax deduction,” while another described the collection as “a forest tax for the landlord.”

Still another referred to the elephant as a “sneaky thief.”

Kaswan did not credit the photographer or state when and where the amusing episode played out.

‘Ever vigilant’ elephant stamps out threat to calf at watering hole

Dramatic footage captured in India shows “what maternal instinct is all about” as crocodile limps away empty-handed.

A momma elephant keeps her babies close because danger often lurks in unexpected places.

The accompanying footage, shared this week by an Indian conservation official, shows momma standing guard as her calf plops on its side to roll in a muddy watering hole.

After a few seconds, momma elephant grows suspicious and suddenly a crocodile appears in the frame, lunging toward the calf.

Viewers will note that momma is having none of it and ends the threat without harm inflicted on her baby.

Dr. PM Dhakate, Chief Conservator of Forests, stated via X:

“See this amazing moment as a mother elephant saves her calf from a crocodile. Her strong, ever vigilant and brave actions show what maternal instinct is all about.”

–Generic elephant image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Elephant ‘too kind’ but still frightens reckless tourists; video

Footage shows the elephant, crowded by safari vehicles, shoving its head into the driver’s side of one vehicle and forcing its occupants to exit.

Tourists in India discovered recently that elephants will not always tolerate being cornered by vehicles full of frenzied admirers.

The accompanying footage, believed to have been captured in Jim Corbett National Park, shows a chaotic scene in which a large elephant singled out one vehicle as a means of expressing its disapproval. (Video contains profanity.)

At one point the elephant backs up before reemerging to step on the vehicle’s bumper before moving to the driver’s side and forcing the occupants to exit the passenger side.

“This gentle giant was too kind,” Ramesh Pandey of the Indian Forest Service observed via X.

The Stripes and Green Earth Foundation (SAGE) also shared the footage while criticizing the tourists’ clear violation of distance guidelines.

To be sure, the elephant exhibited restraint by not becoming aggressive and creating a potentially deadly situation.

The footage ends with the elephant to the right of the frame as a crew examines possible damage to the vehicle.

Runaway elephant escapes traveling circus, blocks traffic in Montana

Circus? Empty. Elephant? Here.

Imagine sitting in traffic on your way to or back from work. Sure, being stuck behind a million cars is boring, but at least you know it’ll clear up soon, and you’ll be on your way. Unfortunately for a road full of commuters in Butte, Montana, that reassurance was lost when a runaway elephant escaped from a nearby traveling circus and ran wild in the street.

This cartoonish incident occurred on Tuesday, April 16. According to the BBC and local news reports, Butte Civic Center manager Bill Melvin claimed the elephant was loose for roughly 10 minutes before returning to its trailer.

Watch one witness’s amused account of the fiasco in the wild video below.

Note: The featured image is a stock photo used to illustrate the story.

Elephant seems to thank motorist after herd safely crosses road

The footage supports the popular belief that elephants are intelligent, thoughtful creatures.

Historical vids has shared footage of a large elephant herd crossing a rain-soaked road and one of pachyderms exhibiting what appears to be a gesture of appreciation after a safe crossing.

Historical vids, which provides daily “education through memes,” did not provide video credit or a date and location of the crossing. (See the clip below.)

But the footage helps supports the popular belief that elephants are intelligent, thoughtful creatures.

The gesture – a pause after all elephants had crossed, a gaze toward the driver and a nod  – occurs at the end of the clip.

Watch: Baby elephant overcomes foster mom’s clever shooing ploy

When Kadiki wants to be left alone she uses “bottom sounds” to drive Elliot away, but recent footage suggests that the tactic no longer works.

Last January we shared an amusing video showing an orphaned elephant calf running for cover after receiving its foster mom’s powerful “hint” that she wanted to be left alone.

Well, it seems as though the not-so-subtle tactic employed by Kadiki no longer works with the fast-learning Elliot.

“Some of you may remember the hilarious moment when Kadiki’s bottom sounds gave Elliot such a big fright he ran for his life,” Wild is Life stated recently on Instagram. “Seems a few months on, Kadiki’s [gas passing] no longer fazes Elliot!”

Kadiki is Elliot’s 4-year-old foster mom, or “special friend.” Elliot, who lost his family of six, was transported to the Wild is Life Panda Masuie Elephant Release Project in Zimbabwe last winter.

The weeks-old calf was rescued after wandering into a community, where he was harassed by holiday revelers, on Dec. 26 2022.

He ended up at the Wild is Life Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery in Harare, where he was stabled with Kadiki. The two have developed a close bond and, for the most part, enjoy each other’s company.

Footage shows that lions, tigers aren’t always kings of beasts

Indian Forest Service employees have shared footage suggesting that lions and tigers do not always own the right of way in their respective domains.

Indian Forest Service employees have shared footage suggesting that lions and tigers do not always own the right of way in their respective domains.

Ramesh Pandey’s footage shows a napping tiger smartly dashing off to allow a large elephant to pass on a forest trail.

“Lord of the jungle versus King of the forest. Here the titans avoid a clash and give space to each other,” Pandey described in his X post.

That drew a response from Susanta Nanda, who posted footage showing two male lions waking and exiting a trail to allow two rhinos to pass. (Both clips are featured below.)

Nanda: “Neither the Tiger, nor the lions are king of the jungle… It’s all situation specific.”

Both men routinely feature wild animal behavior in their posts.

Orphaned elephants’ adorable ‘milk heist’ caught on camera

Footage has surfaced showing orphaned elephants checking milk bottles for extra sips after the containers had been stored by keepers.

Orphaned elephants are seemingly unanimous in their belief that feeding time is not over simply because their keepers have taken away their milk bottles.

The accompanying footage, shared by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, shows several clever young elephants gathered around a wheelbarrow and testing used containers for last sips.

The Kenya-based conservation group stated via social media:

“The year may change, but the brazen milk heists remain the same. This video was taken back in 2021, when Mukkoka, Nabulu, Maktao & Naboishu seized their window of opportunity, descending upon the milk wheelbarrow, assiduously checking all the empties for leftovers.”

The elephants are using their trunks to place bottles in their mouths the way keepers do at feeding time.

At least one keeper, undoubtedly amused by the animals’ resourcefulness, is shown watching over the elephants.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, based in Nairobi, rescues and rehabilitates elephants that become orphaned by poachers with the goal of “reintegrating them into a protected wilderness.”

Twin baby elephants fight over vegetables in adorable video

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y., made history last October when an Asian elephant named Mali gave birth to “miracle twins.” Not only are both male twins thriving, they’re acting as you’d expect any young brothers to act by scuffling …

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y., made history last October when an Asian elephant named Mali gave birth to “miracle twins.”

Not only are both male twins thriving, they’re acting as you’d expect any young brothers to act by scuffling occasionally over trivial matters.

The accompanying footage shows the twins – named Yaad and Tukada – fighting over veggies tossed to them by keepers.

“The twins fight over vegetables, too!” the zoo stated in a tweet. “By Yaad preventatively trying to keep his brother away from his lettuce he only made Tukada more interested.”

In the footage, Yaad keeps attempting to shove or box out Takuda to protect a clump of lettuce that he apparently was saving for himself.

The roughhousing seemed playful, and it’s certain that the pachyderm siblings were adequately fed.

Yaad and Takuda were born on October 24, 2002, and the zoo explained why they were described as miracle twins in a news release announcing their births:

“Elephant twins comprise less than 1% of elephant births worldwide. Of twin pregnancies, twins are often stillborn or are too weak to survive. Sometimes the mother elephant does not survive.”

The calves weighed 220 and 237 pounds at birth.

–Image is a video screen shot