Just like human moms, sometimes animal moms have trouble keeping their toddlers from running away and getting into trouble. Babies -both human and animal – are naturally curious, so it makes sense that they want to get away from mom and explore the world on their own, but it can be dangerous for them.
Elephant moms have the cutest way of keeping track of their little ones, and it’s adorable to see. Wildlife Rescuers shared a video of one mama elephant and her little one. Watch as these rambunctious toddler tries to get away from mom, and how mom keeps track of where the baby’s going.
@wildlife_rescuers Mama elephants often use their trunks to gently grab their baby’s tail to keep them close and safe. This helps prevent the little ones from wandering into dangerous areas and allows the mother to guide and control them—especially when they get a bit too curious or playful! It’s a sweet and practical way to protect their young while teaching them to stay with the herd. Credit unknown Please Please DM us for credit #animals #cuteanimal #animallovers #elephant #elephantlover #babyelephant #cutebabyelephant #babyelephantlove #babyelephantplaying
♬ Funny Song – Funny Song Studio & Thomas Hewitt Jones & Sounds Reel
The baby elephant didn’t look so happy about not being able to run off and do his own thing!
Wildlife Rescuers said in the video’s caption, “Mama elephants often use their trunks to gently grab their baby’s tail to keep them close and safe. This helps prevent the little ones from wandering into dangerous areas and allows the mother to guide and control them—especially when they get a bit too curious or playful! It’s a sweet and practical way to protect their young while teaching them to stay with the herd.”
Why Elephants Hold Each Other’s Tails
While mama elephants hold their baby’s tail to keep them in line, A to Z Animals explains that it’s a sign of affection as well. “Elephants hold their babies’ tails for reasons similar to why humans hold hands: to help, support, or show affection.”
Reptile Knowledge also explains that calves hold on to their mother’s tail to help keep up. Elephants will also hold on to each other’s tails and surround their calves as a form of protection from predators.
A to Z shares another instance when elephants will hold each other’s tails, “Elephants also hold on to each other’s tails when scared. Quite often, they cross through rivers with strong currents or those containing predators like crocodiles. To safeguard weak elephants, and ensure that every member of the herd comes out safely, tail holding could be done in a single-file arrangement. Usually, the matriarch (head female elephant) takes the lead, while every elephant props the tail of the elephant in its front.”
Really, all the same reasons us humans hold hands!