This Baby Elephant Sucks Its Trunk Like a Baby Human Sucks Its Thumb. Here’s Why.

Humans and elephants have a surprising number of traits in common. These animals are highly intelligent and emotional, feeling many of the same emotions as we do. They’re among the world’s most empathetic animals and seek reassurance in surprisingly familiar ways. The baby elephant in this post by @waggedmedia shows humanlike behavior in its search for comfort, showing how relatable they are.

A Trunk Full of Comfort

This elephant’s behavior is adorable, and it’s also very typical. Baby elephants are known to suck on their trunks for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is comfort while they learn to use this unique body part. The learning process for an elephant using its trunk looks very similar to a baby learning to use its hands. Baby elephants touch anything from other herd members to their surroundings with trunks. This familiarizes them with how it works and allows them to practice moving it. However, that trunk sometimes finds its way into an elephant’s mouth as a result of its sucking reflex.

When elephants are born, they experience the same sucking reflex as a newborn baby. A baby elephant might emulate this with its trunk outside of feeding time. The behavior is reminiscent of their mothers, which provides comfort. Their trunk-sucking also speaks to an instinctive need to suckle, often calming them when their mothers aren’t around.

Adult Elephants Also Suck Their Trunks

Trunk-sucking is not specific to baby elephants, though. Bulls or cows also suck their trunks if they feel threatened. For an adult elephant, this behavior signifies it’s feeling stressed or anxious. Sucking on its trunk provides the same calming relief it does for a calf. However, calves don’t have complete control of their trunks for almost a year after birth. This is why it’s more common to see a baby with a clumsy trunk that ends up in its mouth more often than not.

Elephants also use their trunks to comfort others in their herd. This is the equivalent of a hug or a reassuring hand on the back. As calves get older, you might find that rather than sucking on their trunks, they seek reassurance in this way. It’s not something they necessarily grow out of, but it is specific to younger elephants as they gain independence.