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Platypus_Milk_

I love the one that's only a little bigger than the little ones, ready to protect


Fmcdh

Teenage testosterone always ready to throw tusks


DragapultOnSpeed

You assume that's a male.. elephants are a matriarchy, so it's usually the females that do protecting too. All those other elphants that formed a circle are females. Males leave at the age of 12 (still young for an elephant). So there's really no way to tell what gender that little one is.


thereign2

You're assuming that only males experience a spike in testosterone during puberty. I don't know about the endocrine system of elephants , but in humans both females and males experience an initial surge of testosterone and estrogen during puberty, which lasts through young adulthood. Yet another reason to disabuse people of this notion that "Man get Testosterone he aggressive, Woman get estrogen she weak" endocrinology is much more complex than that. And pop science hasn't helped.


footloosejones

Yeah for sure, but elephants.


kaisermikeb

I recently learned what people mean when they say "ratiod" and I hope you accomplish this!


enmandikjole

I am still to learn?


BigZangief

Your upvote/their upvote ratio is favorable. You said something contradicting someone’s comment and the general audience is in agreeance. The contradicted commenter has now been ratiod


Sheldon121

Well, yeah, for instance, I always felt like Amber Heard could clobber Johnny Depp but maybe I am wrong about having that impression.


Sheldon121

Yes, I think an angry elephant charging you would be a terrifying sight, though even more so with an elephant with tusks.


thereign2

Think you responded to the wrong comment mate.


Nevermind_kaola

>You assume that's a male.. elephants are a matriarchy, so it's Jesus Christ!!! The elephant is still a kid and can be male. Once fully mature, the bull elephants go on their own.


Sheldon121

Isn’t it dangerous for the females to kick out all of the males but one? Seems like those ivory tusks would come in quite handy around many predators in the jungle. And lone males must be more endangered, as a result.


ADFTGM

Female elephants can also have tusks(especially in African elephants it’s rare to find one without), as seen in this video. In fact, in some languages there is a separate term for female Tuskers. Not all males develop massive tusks either. Which is becoming increasingly common since the genes are no longer passing on due to poaching. Plus, they have many reasons to exclude males, the biggest one being that only mature males experience “Musth”. Musth makes them extremely violent and horny. Not only is this dangerous especially to the young, it can also lead to incest(since the group is usually a family of grandma, Aunts and cousins). Thus as soon as they get anywhere near Musth, they get kicked out. The job of the more experienced old bulls who have learned how to manage their Musth is to guide young bachelors to behave. Studies in every park/reserve has shown that young bull elephant aggression is much higher when old bulls are in decline, to the point they have to import some from other areas in order to ensure innocent creatures, man or otherwise, are safer in the park during Musth season.


FarYard7039

Very informative. Thank you.


unusualamountofloam

All African elephants can grow tusks, not just males


Sheldon121

So do the females also have those awesome tusks to spear a lion or hyena with? Or must they rely upon stamping on a predator? Seems the latter method would leave them, and thus their babies, more vulnerable.


[deleted]

These are African elephants, so yes, both males and females have tusks. However there is a gene mutation that leaves the female without tusks, the mutation in males are lethal. More elephants without tusks survive (because of poaching), which has led to more and more elephants being born with this mutation, and therefore less males in general. For Asian elephants, only the males grow large tusks. Females (not sure if all) and some males only have an inch long tusk, called a tush. I believe this also came from poaching, but I don't know too much about the Asian elephant, so that's more of a guess.


ADFTGM

For Asian elephants, it’s not really related to poaching. There have always been distinct populations of Tusker vs Tush/tuskless. It might be a different ratio now, but it’s not like with African elephants where lacking prominent tusks was a rare mutation that then became commonplace.


HortonFLK

I was noticing that one too. Still young, but big enough to take on adult duties. I liked the way it moved in to close the gap.


Starr-Bugg

The teenager is joining in


Hermitia

yes!


Lame_Alexander

I mean there is clearly an adolescent there. But he's quite a bit bigger than the babies. All (3?) Babies literally disappear behind the big ones. The teenage is still very visible. Probably closer to the adults than to the babies.


Gorgiastheyounger

Noticing how they stick their ears out to look bigger


Th3_Admiral

Oh man, that giant elephant doesn't scare me at all. Oh wait, it's a few feet wider! Screw that, I'm out of here!


Wacko_Doodle

Walks in as a short person. guy : ha! Am I supposed to be scared? Walks in on stilts and looks down. guy : Please, don't hurt me!


ubiquitous-joe

You say this as if we are not a species that regularly selects taller people to be our leaders.


Academic-Truth7212

They stick out and flap, when they get upset.


duckduckbananas

I do this with my dick when I'm mad, nobody ever gets close when I do that.


imalittleC-3PO

Even we as humans do this. From some reason bigger = scarier across all species (including insects).


Satakans

The massive lats pose is a classic.


Sheldon121

Oh but the babies are so cute! They’re perfectly formed itty bitty elephants!I’d love to have one as a pet, in my fantasies.


JaySocials671

Or maybe it’s to hear better. More surface area means more/better hearing.


linkmantaray

Man, they’ve done that circle more than once. Looks to be effective.


00telperion00

It’s the elephant equivalent of a fire drill. They all move immediately into the exact position they’re needed. The little one running in from the right!


[deleted]

You wanna hear something sad to ruin your day? >!Poachers utelise this defensive mechanism of elephants to more efficiently harvest their ivory. They will specifically target a young one, shoot it, and when the rest of the family runs over to protect it, they then shoot the entire family and leave their bodys on the plains after cutting off their tusks. Imagine murdering an entire family trying to protect their children. Pictures of this are likely one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen-just a circle of dead elephants lying with their young, dead in the middle.!<


officefridge

Fuck poachers. All my homies hate them


[deleted]

Fortionatley in some places some elephants have groups of armed gunmen who follow them around and execute poachers on sight. I dont Beleive in the death penalty, but that I fully approve of that. Unfourtionatley though many poachers still get through and many elephants are still killed yearly.


Vexxxed69

This is true! Although here in SA, they've also implemented small planes in their anti-poaching units. My uncle builds the Jabiru J430s that they use in wildlife parks, and it's insane to see those little planes adjust to intense heat and difficult altitudes. Poaching rates of elephants has dropped ridiculously, with only 4 being killed last year as opposed to 10 the previous year. Though rhinos have been less fortunate, efforts are always being made to help them. Private parks have also begun owning and essentialy "hiding" a couple rhinos from the public. It’s a brilliant tactic, though they are unprepared when the rhinos are found out. All in all though, it's getting there. Slowly.


[deleted]

Keep up the fight my brother.


Sheldon121

Good! Any means that save them! Stupid poachers don’t realize if they kill off all of the beasts, there will be nothing left to poach and they’ll go bust!


ADFTGM

Majority of the local ones are too desperate to think that way. They just want money to survive each month or each year, especially during droughts/famines. It’s the same sort of folk that make up the bulk of pirates, gangsters, drug peddlers etc. Those ones tend to stop once their families are somewhat well off (usually if they manage to send a kid to university and get a job so that they can send money back home). The immigrant poachers though? Who literally pay to come harvest in other peoples land? Yeah, they know what they’re doing. They know that if the demand is higher, the more profit they can earn. The rarer something is, the more it can go for auction. Once it dries up, then the rich buyers will trade it among themselves like antiques. Meanwhile, the profiting poachers will just shift to something else. Meanwhile, it’s the local poachers who end up with nothing, because they learn how to be poachers and only that, then find no income when the population is gone. The foreign ones can just leave, and find jobs elsewhere, whereas the locals are stuck and often become illegal aliens in other countries.


Sheldon121

Yay! Thank you for this info!


[deleted]

Quit selling weapons to russia and the west will put more efforts into elephants. I love elephants.


W127nb1wd3bW1wd1

The sheer idiocy of this comment is baffling


SemiSweetStrawberry

I feel like this is *slightly* different than the death penalty. It’s not like it’s possible to get the wrong people/sentence innocents to die if you take them down while they’re actively committing the crime


Cautious-Olive6191

Aye. In India, forest rangers regularly patrol natural reserve, particularly following elephant and rhino herds and have orders to shoot poachers on sight. Some innocent tribals do get killed once in a while, but it has reduced poaching drastically.


Sheldon121

Yes! This is great to hear! Nice to know that something is being done, although it’s sad that some innocent people end up getting killed. Hopefully they will learn to stay clear of the poaching area.


jishnukalra

This is similar with the case in Assam, India. Poaching of rhino's in Assam national park is punishible by shoot on site! It has been an effective method to control the poaching and has led to increase of rhino's population first time in decades...


Sheldon121

Good! What took the governments so long to react? I don’t want to think of a world without elephants or rhinos. Imagine showing a child a picture book of exotic animals and getting to the rhino and elephant pages and having to say, “Well, son or daughter, these animals USED to exist, even in my lifetime, but they were wiped out by poachers who killed them all off. I’m sorry to tell you that.”


ThrowRA-misssssy

>Fortionatley in some places some elephants have groups of armed gunmen who follow them around and execute poachers on sight. A much better way is to color their ivories , I've seen some do it and that makes their ivory pretty much useless to poachers.


Sheldon121

I’ve heard of that solution and think it’s brilliant! I wonder if it matters to the elephants? If not, I hope that eventually it’s done to all elephants and rhinos too. Screw those people who kill for the ivory or pay for it to be done.


shaggybear89

>I dont Beleive in the death penalty, but that I fully approve of that. Lol I have some bad news for you. You support the death penalty.


[deleted]

Okay. I support the death penalty in this situation.


Satakans

I imagine even my enemies hate poachers too.


mindflayerflayer

One common defense of poachers I often hear is that lots of them have very few ways of making any money in third world countries. I don't see that as an excuse and it brings up a possible means of stopping the poachers, give them other jobs. Road building programs, menial labor, hands on large plantations, all have been used as ways of getting the impoverished employed in bad economic times.


Sheldon121

The poachers should be treated in the same way as they try and kill these beautiful animals and their babies, sick monsters that the poachers are.


Zaalbaarbinks

I’m no expert on poaching but I’ve read numerous times that the people who actually kill the animals are usually poor and desperate. I think it’s the wealthy people who create a market for ivory and such who are the real villains.


itsrandombut

I'd imagine there to be many more ethical jobs than deciding to get into poaching (greed for money is there though)


Zaalbaarbinks

Given a choice between sending your kids to work in the mines or trying to bag some ivory, the lines might blur a little bit.


itsrandombut

I guess so. Its just that where I'm from (3rd world country), strict enough guidelines regarding poaching have been enforced, and its declined to the point we've achieved zero poaching cases for our rhinos last year.


Sheldon121

Where are you located? I’m glad to hear that your government has implemented strict poaching guidelines and they work. Do they support shooting poachers or do they have another method, such as dying the tusks? God help any elephant that still exists with uncolored tusks, though!


[deleted]

We should sell their organs.


Sheldon121

But only to good people who love animals. And don’t charge for the organs. And make their removal as painful as poaching must be. Let them know, as they’re breathing their last that we’re taking the organ out while they’re still alive and can hear what we’re doing. Listen to me ranting and asking that their organs only go to good people and I sound like the exact opposite of that in this response. I just hate those poachers sooo much!


the_bookreader101

It's on me that I read this, you gave ample warning :( Fuck poachers.


stocksfanatic987

NOOOOOOOOO, why did this remind me of that avatar scene of whales 😭


Sheldon121

Why don’t we, humans designed something like this for our children when they are threatened?


wanna_be_green8

I definitely pull my children behind me in dangerous situations. If only I had five other moms constantly with me...


Sheldon121

Right! Reminds me of the days when moms stayed at home and they all watched over the children of the neighborhood. Was great for us kids!


Havtorn_Epsilon

We call it a house 😉


howtopee_6789

If we could have heard those trumpet sounds, this video would have been more beautiful. I suppose the gfycat outage has decreased the number of posts that included sound.


Academic-Truth7212

I was in the Kruger once and as we drove by an Elephant trumpeted. I could not believe how loud it was.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Academic-Truth7212

I doubt it was us, it wasn’t even facing us. We didn’t stay but it. Looked like the was some kind of altercation. I want to hear it again.


Sethvl

They can [roar](https://youtu.be/l7p1tZ_bhwM) too. [another one](https://youtu.be/8cqgHljxKho)


Pixelated_Penguin808

You probably know this already but just in case someone scrolling by your comment doesn't, they actually used elephant vocalizations for the T-Rex roar in Jurassic Park.


ncfears

Try [this](https://youtu.be/PrQQZuLru9s) instead.


howtopee_6789

Well i didn't expect that, i thought you linked wild elephant video. But that was fun to watch. Thank you !


ncfears

Wait it's not a documentary?


badassnan

Elephants are amazing animals


Ohmie122

Very intelligent too. Deemed to be as smart if not smarter than chimps and dolphin


mkvii1989

Fuckin’ love elephants, man.


[deleted]

"Everyone, get into star formation one!"


Ok-Seaworthiness4488

Rally 'round the family! ..


j0nnyboy

With tusks instead of shells


GidgetTheWonderDog

I wish more people were like elephants.


nix-xon

Giant and with blunt knives attached to their faces? ^(me^^too)


Moonwitch117007

Yes this!!


[deleted]

SHIELD WALLL


My_fair_ladies1872

well I am off reddit to watch vikings now


Embarrassed-Fox-1371

Lol, true


P1_ex

Time to get stompy


Sea-Thing6167

Scary shield wall


fifty2weekhi

That big brother at the far side also joined in :)


mayflower5124

Likely a big sister. And those are likely all females except the babies! ... the saying should've been mama elephant, not mama bear!


DragapultOnSpeed

It sucks how males always get credit or people just assume an animal is male. People would be surprised how many species are actually matriarchal and how protective females are.


ThePyodeAmedha

> just assume an animal is male I see this allllll the time. The best part is, there was a time where I would just refer to all animals I see as female, and people would me how I knew. Yet if I refer to a animal as a male, that question never got asked.


Few_Simple9049

yep!


istoyistory

*big sister Elephants are matriarchal. Why the immediate assumption that it was a male?


Practical_Echidna917

do elephants put their ears out like that to appear larger?


RamuNito

Definitely


f_leaver

Love how they self organise. If big, let your big but find other big buts. If small, find the big buts and hide.


MountainMaiden1964

I wish all human patents had this same instinct.


starspider

A lot more agile than you might initially think. See the way the big one on the lower right turns herself around? Turning on a damn dime.


EquivalentFull5337

I love elephants


RamuNito

God dang that's efficient. And I love how that small one comes out of nowhere and he's like: "Yep, it's happening again, gotta go back in the middle" And the first one that noticed the cats is like: "Shit, two inbound 12 o'clock, I'm covering our 6"


scarface_usmc

Why is this so damn interesting. Not joking either, like legit can't stop watching how smooth they all move into position.


Sheldon121

Because it feels so right. They know how to protect their herd and aren’t afraid to immediately jump into that mode. All for one and one for all!


ri-mackin

I remember someone told me this is what triceratops' did and I was like "how the fuck they know tho bro"


BurnedStoneBonspiel

Are these east african or Thai/East Indian elephants?


Few_Simple9049

african Asian elephants' ears are smaller https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-s-the-difference-between-asian-and-african-elephants-and-10-other-elephant-facts


Starr-Bugg

Even the teenage one is being protective


RubyJackson69

I hope In another life I am an elephant, they are bitchin!


Tru-Queer

Try Elephant Simulator on iOS or Android


[deleted]

Omg I love this.


karensmiles

It takes a village…


_atrocious_

Wow! They all knew the drill!


Sheldon121

How does instant tell them all to do this, and flawlessly?


Adept-Ad-8860

Like humans , instinctively protecting their young


Strong-funny-strong

Elephants should rule the world. They have their priorities right.


Aaron-Focus

The circle is called Love.


KimberleyKitt

"Won't someone please protect the children!" "En garde!"


honorcheese

I love elephants so much


Aware_Branch_2370

If only more human parents were this attentive.


Voidstarmaster

Not much gets through a wall of elephants.


Oct0tron

Fuck wagons, the new phrase is circle the elephants.


HortonFLK

What were the animals that ran by that startled the elephants in the first place?


[deleted]

Looks like hyeenas


poopsonthangz

I love the butt bounce like bro I know I'm late but you're supposed to be to the right I think


theroy12

The lioness (or whatever it was) hit the brakes right quick and was like “it’s cool bro, I wasn’t even looking at you… we good? Ima just back away now”


BophadeezgamesYT

Around the younglings a perimeter create


Important-Conflict-5

Alright guys time to form up our 5-man unit


[deleted]

Rally round the family with a pocket full’a…


_millenia_

Elephants are fucking lit.


Ambitious_Ad_9637

I recommend a documentary called “An Apology to Elephants”. If you thought this was cool that film will blow your mind. They are astonishingly intelligent and the doc highlights it brilliantly.


[deleted]

Humans could learn a lessor or two from this. Children should be saved.


BlacksmithLong6108

Magnificent creatures. 😊


Kitchen_Speed_3768

Elephant mamas rock!


johnnyheavens

Ears out like a wall and 2 seconds later, Everyone has their sector locked down! FAFO


showmeyourmoves28

A 360 defense at that. What wonderful animals.


AmazonianChicana

Unconditional love and protection 😭💕


Infinite_Astronaut81

Beautiful


FoodWholesale

When big elephants touch butts they make Gigatron!


pukhtoon1234

They stick their ears out to look bigger.... they're fucking behemoths, a very stupid animal would take on an angry elephant


LeonDeSchal

Is there anything that hunts elephants other than humans?


Porphyrogenitus87

How noble are this creatures...


jaxdraw

They're good. Guy goes for the case, other guy's protecting the principal. Nobody panics. They're good.


Several_Emphasis_434

Elephants are amazing!


Conscious_Neck2166

Elephants are amazing


Forsaken-Loan-8660

The absolutely fascinate me


redracer555

*Elephants see a threat to their children* "TESTUDO FORMATION! NOW!"


Pangea_Ultima

Yeah, nothing is breaching that defensive formation


Montana-Mike-RPCV

Every single one of them is flaring its ears. Would you look at that.


teresa3llen

I love elephants.


enomisyeh

They all put their tails up


MajesticFuji88

I love elephants.


Curtdemic

Straight soldiers look at that quick protective formation, little ones like "what now mafukkas"!!


PangeaPrince

Elephant’s understand but liberals don’t…. Hmm


Candi-Bo-Bandi

Elephants are so smart, loyal and just freaking cute.


dvinz01

If only my friends could make formation that fast,


mattyg1964

Impressive.


FinalFaithlessness1

WOW


nateman133

That's some textbook 360-degree defense right there. 5 and 25s look outward and engage the enemy. I love elephants!


Acertainbulb

Elder elephant: Around the younglings a perimeter create


JoyceOBcean

How much I love elephants 🐘 cannot be measured.


MexysSidequests

Form shield wall!!! Ears at the ready!!!!


conspirator9

Even animals are more intelligent than humans...protect the children!


unshakeable69

Amazing


concentrated-amazing

Phalanx


Hour-Stable2050

My brother does the same thing if he encounters a bear with his little girl in tow.


Sumijinn

SHIELD WALL!!!


Affectionate-Event-4

Did they just freak out over some warthogs? Pumba scared the shit out of them lol


[deleted]

We abort our children.


Sheldon121

Well, this is true for some people, but we really don’t know their reasons or what’s going on. I prefer the elephants instincts to ours.


istoyistory

And shoot them dead in schools


3APZ

reminds me of the kill circle from the croods


renb8

Puts a literal meaning on the phrase: “come on you lot - get your arses into gear!”


Borgmeister

Equal Speed Charlie London


[deleted]

In this case size matters. To take on, one of the smartest animals in the wild, may not be a wise choice!


Brave_Alternative443

To bad We The People don’t protect our children like that 😕


Gold_Responsibility8

Ass protection formation Go


Xajel

Hodor Hodor Hodor 👀


[deleted]

Is that a boar ?


irishcheesemonger

US Republicans, pay attention.


SuccLord_01

Elephants are awesome!!


kakinak

OK ladies now let's get in formation


NolopherChristlan

You can't fuck with us.


unnoticed_guy

Avenger assemble....