Powered by ZigaForm version 3.9.6.8
  • Find a copy
  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Contact us
SUBSCRIBE
Travel Africa Magazine

ISSUE 87


July/Sept 2019

Why Botswana?
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Editor’s Pick
    • Latest issue
    • Past issues
    • Subscribe
  • Destinations
    • All
    • Botswana
    • Central Africa
    • Ethiopia
    • Kenya
    • Madagascar
    • Malawi
    • Morocco
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • West Africa
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
    Tanzania's tree climbing lions

    Tanzania’s northern safari circuit

    What is it really like to climb Dune 45 at Sossusvlei?

    What is it really like to climb Dune 45 at Sossusvlei?

    Into Mana Pools with John Stevens

    Into Mana Pools with John Stevens

    Elephants in Garamba National Park. Picture credit African Parks

    Dogged work in Garamba

    50 Reasons to visit KwaZulu-Natal

    50 Reasons to visit KwaZulu-Natal

    South Africa think different

    South Africa think different

    Lower Zambezi Valley

    Lower Zambezi Valley

    Dream catchers

    Dream catchers

    High-octane Uganda

    High-octane Uganda

    Trending Tags

    • Wildfile
    • Culture
      • All
      • Art & Design
      • Book Club
      • Characters
      Vintage art posters

      A rare vintage: capturing the essence of Africa

      Sketch for survival 2019

      Sketch for survival 2019

      Book reviews

      Book reviews

      CEO, African Albida Tourism, Ross Kennedy

      CEO, African Albida Tourism, Ross Kennedy

      Southern boy

      Southern boy

      “Potential is all you need”

      “Potential is all you need”

      8 essential Johnny Clegg songs

      8 essential Johnny Clegg songs

      “Don’t panic, everything will be okay”

      “Don’t panic, everything will be okay”

      Leading conservationists shortlisted

      Leading conservationists shortlisted

      Trending Tags

      • Planning
      • Photography
      • Shop
      • About Us
        • Why we’re here
        • From the team
        • Current advertising partners
        • Partners
        • Blogs
      No Result
      View All Result

      No products in the cart.

      • Home
      • Magazine
        • Editor’s Pick
        • Latest issue
        • Past issues
        • Subscribe
      • Destinations
        • All
        • Botswana
        • Central Africa
        • Ethiopia
        • Kenya
        • Madagascar
        • Malawi
        • Morocco
        • Mozambique
        • Namibia
        • Rwanda
        • South Africa
        • Tanzania
        • Uganda
        • West Africa
        • Zambia
        • Zimbabwe
        Tanzania's tree climbing lions

        Tanzania’s northern safari circuit

        What is it really like to climb Dune 45 at Sossusvlei?

        What is it really like to climb Dune 45 at Sossusvlei?

        Into Mana Pools with John Stevens

        Into Mana Pools with John Stevens

        Elephants in Garamba National Park. Picture credit African Parks

        Dogged work in Garamba

        50 Reasons to visit KwaZulu-Natal

        50 Reasons to visit KwaZulu-Natal

        South Africa think different

        South Africa think different

        Lower Zambezi Valley

        Lower Zambezi Valley

        Dream catchers

        Dream catchers

        High-octane Uganda

        High-octane Uganda

        Trending Tags

        • Wildfile
        • Culture
          • All
          • Art & Design
          • Book Club
          • Characters
          Vintage art posters

          A rare vintage: capturing the essence of Africa

          Sketch for survival 2019

          Sketch for survival 2019

          Book reviews

          Book reviews

          CEO, African Albida Tourism, Ross Kennedy

          CEO, African Albida Tourism, Ross Kennedy

          Southern boy

          Southern boy

          “Potential is all you need”

          “Potential is all you need”

          8 essential Johnny Clegg songs

          8 essential Johnny Clegg songs

          “Don’t panic, everything will be okay”

          “Don’t panic, everything will be okay”

          Leading conservationists shortlisted

          Leading conservationists shortlisted

          Trending Tags

          • Planning
          • Photography
          • Shop
          • About Us
            • Why we’re here
            • From the team
            • Current advertising partners
            • Partners
            • Blogs
          No Result
          View All Result
          Travel Africa Magazine
          No Result
          View All Result

          Body language of elephants

          Travel Africa by Travel Africa
          May 31, 2019
          0
          Body language of elephants

          Understanding elephant behaviour, by Audrey Delsink, extracted with permission from the new 480-page book The Last Elephants.

          Elephants are intelligent and emotional and they want to be left in peace. Like humans, they have a personal space which they do not like invaded. Remember you are in their territory. They always have right of way. Elephants appreciate silence, patience and slow, consistent movements. Respect for the animals and common sense must always prevail. For your own safety, it’s important to read their body language.

          Picture credit: Tim Driman

          Standing tall (threat behaviour, above)
          Standing or moving with head held well above shoulders, chin is raised and the elephant looks down at her adversary over her tusks with eyes-open stare and ears maximally forward. The animal appears to increase in height and sometimes will deliberately stand upon an object such as a log or anthill in order to increase its height. Elephants normally stand or move about with their eyes cast down. A direct gaze with eyes-open is a component of many displays. A posture, with the chin raised as opposed to tucked in looking down over the tusks, is mainly used by females in challenge towards non- elephant threats, such as predators and people, as in: I’ve got you in my sights, so watch it.

          Picture credit: Bobby Jo Vial

          Head-shake (threat behaviour, above)
          An abrupt shaking of the head, which causes the ears to flap sharply and dust to fly, is a sign of an individual’s annoyance with or disapproval of an individual or circumstance. The head-shake usually starts with the head twisted to one side and then is rapidly rotated from side to side. The ears slap against the side of the face or neck making a loud smacking sound. It can also be used in play to feign annoyance. Head-jerking (a single, upward movement followed by a slower return) and head-tossing (the head is lowered and then lifted sharply so that the tusks make an arc) are also mild threat displays.

          Picture credit: Colin Bell

          Ear-spreading (threat Behaviour, above)
          Facing an opponent or predator head on with ears fully spread (at 90 degrees to body) presumably for the purpose of appearing larger. Elephants may also spread their ears when they’re excited, surprised or alarmed.

          Picture credit: Colin Bell

          Forward-trunk-swing (threat behaviour, above)
          A swinging or tossing of the trunk in the direction of an adversary, typically while blowing forcefully out through the trunk. Elephants swing their trunks at other smaller animals (e.g. egrets, ground hornbills, warthogs and people) to frighten them away or simply for amusement. A high-intensity version of the forward-trunk-swing is the aggressive-whoosh made by musth males, who toss or swing their trunk in an exaggerated manner in the direction of an adversary while blowing loudly through the trunk with a loud whooshing.

          Picture credit: Michelle Henley

          Throw-debris (threat behaviour, above)
          Lifting or uprooting objects and using the trunk to throw them in the direction of an opponent or predator. This display may also be observed in play. An elephant’s aim can be very accurate even at some distance.

          Picture credit: Michelle Henley

          Bush-bash (threat behaviour, above)
          Tossing the head and tusks back and forth through bushes or other vegetation, creating noise and commotion and demonstrating strength. It’s probably an expression of ‘look what I can do with you’, but is also used in play.

          Picture credit: Michelle Henley

          Tusk-ground (threat behaviour, above)
          Bending or kneeling down and tusking the ground and uplifting vegetation as a demonstration of ‘look what I will do with you’. It’s usually seen during the manoeuvring between two males during an escalated contest, but may also be directed towards people, especially by musth males. In some cases, tusking the ground may be a form of redirected aggression. A similar action is seen during play. In play, too, tusking the ground may be directed towards human observers. In females, a vigorous scraping/trampling or tusking of the ground following the birth of a calf may be observed.

          Picture credit: Guts Swanepoel

          Trunk-twisting (apprehensive, above)
          Twisting the tip of the trunk back and forth in situations where an elephant is apprehensive or unsure of what action to take.

          Picture credit: Sabine Stols

          Distant-frontal-attitude (play or submission, above)
          In expectant or playful situations, pausing with the trunk up in a periscope or S-shape waiting for an adversary, duelling or a play partner’s next move. As two individuals approach one another with intent to duel or spar, one or both may raise its trunk above its head and curl the tip towards the other individual. Except for context, this display appears very similar in form to periscope-sniff.

          Picture credit: Colin Bell

          Touch-face (apprehensive, above)
          Self-directed touching of the face, apparently for reassurance, very often in the context of interaction with another elephant, may also be seen in any situation where an elephant feels uneasy. Touch-face includes self-touching of mouth, face, ear, trunk, tusk or temporal gland.

          Picture credit: Garth Thompson

          Foot-swinging (apprehensive, above)
          Raising and holding or tentatively swinging the foreleg intermittently when unsure of what action to take. Swinging of the hind foot may also be observed, although this is less common than the forefoot.

          Picture credit: Don Pinnock

          Displacement-feeding (apprehensive, above)
          Plucking at vegetation, as if foraging, but without actually eating any of the material, is monitoring behaviour. If it does eat, it does so in a desultory or distracted fashion. The elephant may also slap vegetation against a foot or other part of its body. It is performed in conflict situations such as during fighting or sparring, or when an individual shows incompatible tendencies such as fleeing vs fighting. Can also be defensive or despondent. It is also often displayed by young males near an oestrous female that are pretending to do something else so as not to provoke aggression by the guarding male.

          Picture credit: Arthur Collett

          Real-charge (aggressive behaviour, above)
          Rushing towards a predator or other adversary while ear-spreading, head raised or lowered with the apparent intention of following through. The trunk may be slightly curved under so that tusks can make contact first. A real-charge is usually silent.

          Mock-charge (threat behaviour, above, picture credit Garth Thompson)
          Rushing towards an adversary or predator with standing-tall and ear-spreading that stops short of its target. An elephant may forward-trunk-swing or aggressively kick dust as it abruptly stops. A mock-charge is often associated with a shrill trumpet blast.

           

          This article is an extract, used with permission, from The Last Elephants, compiled by Colin Bell and Don Pinnock. At 480 pages, The Last Elephants is undoubtably the most comprehensive book on African elephants ever published, with 42 chapters looking at their status across the continent, threats to their survival, conservation work and their behaviour. A remarkable collection of images, from a multitude of photographers, bring a strong visual element to the book. This is a very impressive production, and will be a must-have for all wildlife lovers. Buy your copy using this link.

          Tags: Body language of elephants
          Previous Post

          From tree to mug: the complete coffee experience

          Next Post

          What is it really like on the ground in Zimbabwe?

          Travel Africa

          Travel Africa

          Related Posts

          Ostrich smile
          Wildfile

          13 Fun facts about ostriches

          Impress your guide with your expert knowledge Ostriches have the biggest eyes of any land mammal – almost 5cm...

          by Travel Africa
          November 30, 2019
          Melanistic serval at Namiri Plains
          Wildfile

          Melanistic serval at Namiri Plains

          As far as extraordinary sightings go, this is pretty darn unusual High on the bucket list of many avid...

          by Travel Africa
          November 1, 2019
          Why we should care more about bonobos
          Wildfile

          Why we should care more about bonobos

          We have more in common with these lesser-known apes than we might assume, and we should do more to...

          by Travel Africa
          November 1, 2019
          Load More
          Next Post
          What is it really like on the ground in Zimbabwe?

          What is it really like on the ground in Zimbabwe?

          Babylonstoren garden

          Finding Babylon

          The best cultural experiences in Africa

          The best cultural experiences in Africa

          Conserving Kafue

          Conserving Kafue

          Pussy cat or predator?

          Pussy cat or predator?

          In addition to TRAVEL AFRICA, Gecko Publishing produces the inflight magazine for LIAT, the Caribbean Airline ('ZiNG Caribbean') and has published custom magazines for companies including Kenya Airways ('Msafiri'), Safaricom ('The Option') and Precision Air ('Paa Tanzania'). Visit geckomags.com for more information.
          • Why we’re here
          • Full portfolio of publications
          • Gecko Publishing corporate site
          • Terms and Conditions
          • Internet Privacy and Cookies Policy
          • Report a problem

          Follow us

          Newsletter

          Sign up for the latest news and updates.

          No Result
          View All Result
          • Subscribe
          • Destinations
            • Botswana
            • Burundi
            • Central Africa
            • Ethiopia
            • Ghana
            • Kenya
            • Madagascar
            • Malawi
            • Mozambique
            • Morocco
            • Namibia
            • Rwanda
            • South Africa
            • Tanzania
            • Uganda
            • Zimbabwe
            • Zambia
          • Wildfile
          • Culture
            • Art & Design
            • Book Club
            • Characters
          • Planning
          • Shop
          • Contact us
          • About Us

          © 2018 Travel Africa Magazine

          Login to your account below

          Forgotten Password?

          Fill the forms bellow to register

          *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
          All fields are required. Log In

          Retrieve your password

          Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

          Log In
          This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.