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EleFact Friday – Male Elephants Are Often Misunderstood

For EleFACT Friday today, we’re busting a myth that you may have heard before. It’s been said that male elephants are loner animals who prefer solitude and are generally anti-social, even aggressive. However, that is not necessarily accurate.

Male elephants in the wild are raised from birth in a female-dominated environment, surrounded by mothers and other matriarchal figures. Most leave their birth families as teenagers, between 9 and 18 years old – but what happens next? Male elephants then form what we call bachelor herds, where lifelong companionship between individuals is created. These male-dominated herds occur in times when mating opportunities are high or human threats are present.

Studies show that within these herds, a hierarchy is established amongst the male elephants based on an individuals’ strength and domineering behavior. It’s been said that male elephants, in the presence of a water source, can be compared to a group of men out at a bar – showing friendly behaviors like intertwining trunks and flapping ears.

Older male elephants are shown to take on a leadership role within the bachelor herd, often to the benefit of younger males who acquire learned behaviors by observing the elders.

The idea of the loner, angry male elephant is a misconception that we’re happy to say is often not their reality.

Photo shown is of Tamy

Comments(11)

  1. REPLY
    Nancy Shaw says

    STILL ANOTHER SAD STORY !!
    Ignorant Humans !

  2. REPLY
    Carol says

    So interesting!

  3. REPLY
    SHEILA says

    OH MY GOODNESS TAMY IS A PORKCHOP!! KINDA CHUNKY GUY!! HANDSOME?❤️ YES IVE HEARD AND SEEN THIS MYTH MANY TIMES! BUT THE FACT IS SOMETIMES THE LADIES ALLOW A GUY TO COME ALONG WITH THEIR HERD TOO! ALTHOUGH STEPPING BEHIND IR FOLLOWING TO SIDE OF HERD! IVE EVEN SEEN 2 BIG BULLS WALKING DOWN A ROAD IN KENYA WITH A NEW BABY THEY FOUND IN MIDDLE! I SPONSORED THIS BABY AND HAVE HEARD SHES LIKE A LIL GIRL BULL! VERY STRONG WILLED!OFTEN CAUSING HAVOC IN ORPHAN GROUP???. YES! THE GUYS HAVE THEIR LIL HERDS TOO WITH A STRONG ROLE MODEL! GENERALLY TRAVEL IN HERDS OF 4 YOUNGER BULLS AND THE PATRIARCH! ELEPHANTS R SO WONDERFUL! GOD CREATED THEM VERY UNIQUELY❤️?❤️

  4. REPLY
    Debra Perry says

    I’m very worried for Tamy living in these deplorable conditions. What will happen to him left all alone without being able to see Pocha & Guillermina through the gate after you all rescue them ?

    • REPLY
      Kat Blais says

      He will gain access to P&G’s space and it will only then become possible for his caregivers and others to begin working with him. He will require a lot of training and this will take time.

  5. REPLY
    Wim says

    So much of beautiful animal life is destroyed by pure ignorance and human stupidity. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be a male Elephant in a safe peaceful herd somewhere in time.
    ??❤️?

  6. REPLY
    Bonnie says

    How is Tamy going to be when the other two are gone is he going to be ok

  7. REPLY
    Julie says

    Thank you for another interesting Friday Elefact! It is consoling to not have to think of the boys as lonely. I know it’s going to be a while, but will Tamy be able to share some space at times with Pocha and Guillermina once at the sanctuary?

    • REPLY
      Kat Blais says

      Part of our goal is to have some sort of integration, but there are a lot of moving pieces to the plan and it will also depend on the other ladies.

  8. REPLY
    Beji says

    Let’s hear it for the boys!

  9. REPLY
    Carey says

    very glad you are helping to dispel this myth thank you! I happened to research it when campaigning for Kaavan. I wish a good doc could be produced on ‘Batchelor’ groups, Asian and African. I t must be fascinating watching them learn their behaviours and see their interactions and hierarchy etc.

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