Snapshot Serengeti Talk

elephant clustering

  • wasukasa by wasukasa

    I notice there is a baby or two in the center - is this showing a reaction to a predator nearby?![ASG000al19

    Posted

  • kosmala by kosmala scientist

    Possibly. Adult elephants don't have much to fear in the Serengeti. But lions can kill baby ones. Like many herd animals, elephants will bunch up with the babies in the middle if they sense trouble.

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  • tirralirra by tirralirra

    It is my impression that most elephant groups on the Serengeti seem to include babies and teens. Of all the young seen on the Serengeti, elephant young may be the most numerous. That's probably because they take longer to reach maturity than most species.

    Posted

  • davidbygott by davidbygott moderator

    Most likely they are clustered because the camera is mounted on a shade tree, and they are seeing how many elephants can fit in the shade of one tree!

    Posted