Baby Elephant vs Safari Jeep
The hilarious antics of this little elephant are captured by an occupant of a safari jeep. The baby is clearly not happy about the presence of the jeep and makes an attempt at a charge but pulls up just in time to deliver a high-pitched trumpet. When the little elephant does this for the second time it attracts the attention of mom elephant which is a little more worrying because she has the size and power to do a lot of damage to the jeep and its occupants. However, when she sees that the commotion has merely been caused by a jeep, she seems fairly relaxed about the situation. The funniest part is when our little hot head decides to hide in the grass and leap out at the jeep in a “they’ll never see me here” maneuver. Anyone who has ever played hide and seek with a toddler will recognize this immediately!
Elephant’s Lifestyle and Behavior
Elephants like to live in savannas and deserts as well as marshes and forests. They are herbivores so they survive solely on plant material but they need a huge amount of it! A typical adult elephant needs at least 330 pounds of food each day. A lot of this passes through their digestion and comes out the other end without being used for nutrition! So, what do these giants like to eat? Almost any type of plant is acceptable. They are able to adopt both a browsing and grazing method of eating. When browsing, they nibble leaves, twigs, and buds from shrubs and trees above ground. They do this in the dry season. In the wet season, however, there is more vegetation on the ground and they graze this. They are also partial to fruits. Elephants are social animals that live in herds of about 10 individuals or small groups. When a herd gets too large, it splits into two so that manageable numbers are maintained. A single matriarch leads a herd that is made up of her related cows (females) and their calves. The herd leader possesses the knowledge of where to find food, water, and shelter and so she is critical for the herd’s success. When the matriarch dies, it is almost always the eldest daughter that takes her place. The male elephants live alone or in small groups where there are obvious dominance hierarchies. Grouping of males is more likely when food is scarce or there are a lot of threats to their safety. Male and female elephants only come into contact with each other to mate. We are learning more about these intelligent animals all the time.
Next Up:
Watch Elephants Stampede to a Family Reunion With Their Favorite HumanWatch an Elephant Battle a Crocodile to the DeathWatch a Desperate Tiger Challenge an Adult Elephant
