What Kind of social interaction is this?

• by Boleyn moderator

  I just came across this video of 2 elephants ACP000di28. To me it looks as if the small one would like to drink from the mother. The movement of the mouth at least reminds me very much of this but I think it's too big to be nursed?

  

  Posted December 15, 2017 5:55 PM

• by Snorticus in response to Boleyn's comment.

  ACP000di2c - more of this sequence. This youngster does seem large to be nursing & the tusks are pretty long too?

  Posted December 15, 2017 7:15 PM

• by NuriaM scientist, moderator

  This juvenile is clearly suckling. As a general rule, calves drink mom´s milk until they are 4 years old (OMG!), but it doesn´t mean that they stop inmediatelly at the age of 4. It could happen that some mothers breast-feed longer.
  I am trying to find a video posted some time ago about a quite big ele. calf having to kneel in order to reach mom´s breast...but I can´t find it. Does anyone remember?

  Anyway, this juvenile must be 3-4 years old 😃

  Posted December 18, 2017 2:53 AM

• by Boleyn moderator

  Nice video you found there, Dawna. At tleast the "little one" got something to eat.
  Sorry, I don't remember that clip, Nuria.

  Hehe, did your imagination go wild? 😛

  Posted December 18, 2017 5:20 PM

• by NuriaM scientist, moderator in response to Boleyn's comment.

  LOL!!! yep, it went wild, because it wasn´t a video and it wasn´t on C&S.

  Here it is, a huge "baby" having to kneel to nurse:

  

  Posted December 19, 2017 5:56 AM

• by Boleyn moderator

  Lovely!! (the video not the "other one") 😉

  Posted December 19, 2017 11:55 AM

• by Snorticus in response to NuriaM's comment.

  That is some dedicated elephant mothering 😃

  Posted December 20, 2017 2:28 AM

• by MimiA scientist, moderator

  How cool!!!

  Posted December 20, 2017 4:07 PM