There are few things in this world that are cuter than baby elephants – at least according to me. While this mama elephant who tries to stop her stubborn baby is incredibly cute, it also speaks mountains of their complex social and emotional intelligence.
A Large Animal With a Large EQ
You’re probably familiar with IQ, which has to do with being able to problem-solve and to think rationally and so on. EQ speaks to one’s capacity for empathy and understanding emotions.
Elephants are not just the largest land animals on Earth; they also possess a remarkably high Emotional Quotient (EQ).
Elephants have deep familial bonds and show high levels of empathy. For example, they mourn their family memebers when the die – even displaying behaviors akin to human grief. Their complex social structures and communication skills are further proof of their refined emotional intelligence.
An Elephant’s Powerful Maternal Instincts
Because elephants have emotional intelligence not so different from our own, they also have strong family bonds much like us. A mama elephant nurses her baby for 4-6 years, but even after the nursing is done, the baby sticks with mom until around their 16th birthday. Sounds very much like a human timeline doesn’t it?
The mama elephant in the video displays the classic maternal protective instincts, doing her best to pull away her stubborn child from the potentially dangerous humans.
Its Most Important Tool: The Trunk
Without their trunk, elephants would be completely lost.
An elephant’s trunk is made up of thousands of muscles and they need it for basically everything they need to do to survive: from breathing, smelling, and trumpeting to grasping objects and exploring their environment.
The baby elephant using its trunk to investigate the safari jeep is a perfect example of how they need their trunk to learn about the world around them.
The Footage: Mama Elephant Stops Stubborn Elephant Baby
This safari footage shows just how curious and stubborn a baby elephant can be. It is seriously intrigued by the safari jeep and won’t listen to its mom, who keeps pulling it back from the safari jeep.
I guess one thing is true for all animal species: kids will always get on their mom’s nerves.
Wrapping Up
We could spend hours and hours admiring elephants and their social complexity and behaviors. What is most striking to me, though, is how similar these giants are to us humans.
Thank you for reading this article about the mama elephant that stops her stubborn elephant baby from getting into a safari jeep! For more news on this incredibly clever creature, take a look here:
- Watch: Elephant Picks up and Throws Truck full of Tourists
- Watch Buffaloes Rescue Baby Elephant from Lions
- Must-Watch: Adorable Baby Elephant Playing in a Bathtub
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