Elephants are one of the most social animals out there, and almost everything they do is linked to their herd. This includes raising the young ones. Unlike most other animals, a newborn calf is taken care of by the entire herd and not just its mother. Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda has shared a video on X showing how protective an elephant herd can be towards its calves.
In the video, a newborn calf can be seen taking a nap while being guarded by its mother and other members of the herd.
"Chotu goes to sleep with Z++ security. Watching the video in a loop - the mother and aunties surround the calf when it falls asleep. The security is just impregnable. Amazing behaviour of elephant herds. From the forests of Bonai," Nanda wrote.
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The video has gone viral, and many on social media were left impressed by the 'security' the herd provided for the newborn. Some eagle-eyed users also pointed out that there were more calves in the herd.
"See...just in this video there are babies sleeping and one renegade," one person wrote.
In the wild, elephants live in matriarchal herds, comprising dozens of individuals, mostly females and calves. The herd is led by the oldest female, or the matriarch.
Adult male elephants are mostly solitary animals and only join the herd for mating. Elephants have a gestation period of around 22 months, and the calf has to be taken care of by the mother and other members of the herd until it reaches 4-5 years old.
Also read: Elephant Herds Mourn, Bury Their Dead Calves
While females continue to be a part of the herd, young males start living as solitary animals as adolescents around the age of 13.
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