Elephants Show Incredible Acts of Compassion When Herd Members Are in Trouble

Elephants are not only extremely intelligent but have the ability to express deep empathy for others. They form close family bonds with those in their herd and are known to help other elephants in need. Elephant herds are led by an older female elephant, and this matriarch guides her group, keeping her family safe from danger.

Do Elephants Show Altruism?

We know elephants are very smart. They have the largest brains of all land mammals with the greatest volume of cerebral cortex. When given cognitive tests, researchers have found that elephants don’t do as well as primates at tasks like tool use or visual discrimination (the ability to see differences between things.) However, where they excel is in long-term social memory. Elephants form deep bonds with others and they don’t forget them.

Time and time again, researchers have recorded instances of elephants helping each other, even when danger to themselves is present. A group of Asian elephants were spotted rushing into muddy waters to help free a younger member of the herd who had become stuck. They did this without hesitation, even though they may have ended up stuck themselves in the water.

A Herd Rushes Into Danger to Save a Young Mother and Her Baby

In a heartwarming video posted by the Dodo, a baby elephant can be seen stuck upside down in a water trough. As the baby struggles, lions appear on the scene, ready to attack the vulnerable juvenile. Its mother panics, running around and calling for help. Just when things appear hopeless, in comes a herd of elephants led by a large, elder matriarch.

Elephant trumpets are loud, registering up to 100 decibels or more. Their thunderous sounds can be heard from six miles away. The frightened mother elephant knew her loud call could bring help from a distance.

The incoming herd immediately gets to work. Some members keep the lions at bay, while the matriarch goes straight to the stuck baby.

She loops her trunk around the baby, beginning to pull him out of the muck. Once he gets a foothold, she changes her strategy and starts pushing.

At last, the baby is free and reunited with its mother.

Baby Elephants Are Entirely Dependent on Their Mothers

Much like human children, baby elephants need a caregiver to survive. Females will generally stay with their mothers for life, while male elephants tend to leave the herd at around 16 years of age. Elephant herds are made up of about six to 20 individuals. The herds are led by a matriarch and consist of related females including mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. Adult male elephants don’t live in female herds, but either go it alone or form small groups of bachelors.

The baby stuck in the mud in the video from the Dodo appeared to be traveling with a young mother. She perhaps didn’t have the experience to know how to get her calf unstuck while warding off a predator. We don’t know if the group she called was her own herd or another family group, but we do know they came to help as soon as they heard her call.

The Importance of Elephant Matriarchs

Elephants rely on the wisdom and knowledge of a dominant female. Research conducted at Amboseli National Park in Kenya on a population of 1,500 elephants has shown just how critical it is for elephants to have the guidance of a wise elder.

Matriarchs in the study have been seen leading their groups to water in times of drought, helping their herd to survive difficulties. It’s believed the older elephant has more experience with where to find food and resources when times are difficult than younger members of the group.

The elder elephants were also found to be hyper-vigilant when they heard the roar of a male lion, more so than younger mother elephants. Male lions are the largest threat to juvenile elephants, and the older mothers know this.

The Dangers of Poaching

When we understand how a matriarch can affect the survival of her entire herd, poaching becomes even more tragic. If a herd loses its oldest female, they aren’t only losing a beloved herd member, but a treasure trove of experience and wisdom that would have been passed down to the group.

Sadly, it’s estimated by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) that 90% of African elephants have been killed by poachers in the last 100 years. Elephant ivory tusks are highly sought after on the illegal wildlife market. The IFAW says that we can help by avoiding buying wildlife products and reporting illegal wildlife trading online.