A herd of male elephants where filmed by Benedicto Reyes swimming and playing in the water at the Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa
Benedicto Reyes was at the Sabi Sands Game Reserve when he spotted a group of male elephants playing in a watering hole nearby. He started filming the elephants and captured some great footage of the group.
Male elephants have always been deemed as aggressive in nature and anti-social loners. However over the years researchers have found that even though they leave the female dominated herds at a young age, they don’t wonder off alone for the rest of their lives.
“There’s no question that male elephants can be aggressive, hormone–driven killers. But they can also have friendships, and be both leaders and patient teachers.”
This video is proof of this fact. Male elephants are harder to study as they are not “constrained by slow-moving babies and so can range more widely.”
From a young age, male elephants gravitate towards other males. “They like to hang around with other males in the family, to roughhouse, and then as they get older, they’re sparring [play fighting] together,”
As different families intermingle, males find other males to roughhouse with and play with, and get to know other young males of their age group. As they play, they begin to understand their own strength, build self-knowledge and learn the tactics they will need to use as older males. Sometimes male elders teach young ones mischievous habits.
Male Elephants are naturally more ‘touchy-feely’ at the watering hole and more willing to investigate each other than female elephants are. Again this video is evidence of that.
by 