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Some of our contacts were very enthusiastic at the possibility of learning more about elephant behavior via our blog, so I am going to continue to share some elephant behavior with you. As I mentioned, our new photo database means that we can easily search on a specific behavior and find all the images that we have of that behavior. This new system is essential for updating our visual and tactile database on www.elephantvoices.org. The other day a colleague sent me a photograph of elephants engaged in Floppy-Running. I knew that we had even better images in our database and found them with a quick entry of the behavior. The pictures taken in January this year are so lovely that I thought I would share them with you and take the opportunity to write a bit about Floppy-Running. The term was originally coined by Cynthia Moss to describe the loose, floppy running gait of a playful elephant. In Amboseli Floppy-Running is most often observed when elephants have had plenty to eat and are leaving the swamps at the end of the day. Playful behavior is often contagious, and though juveniles and calves are the most likely Floppy-Runners, adult females sometimes lose all sense of decorum and join in. I have laughed aloud as I watched several families Floppy-Run across the plains to the tune of a cacophony of pulsated play trumpets. The elephants go all loose and floppy, shaking their lowered heads from side-to-side, allowing their trunk to flop about, their ears to flap wildly against their necks and curling their tails up high. Have a look at the sequence of beautiful images taken by Petter as a family Floppy-Run across the open plain. A wonderful, funny sight…
6 Comments posted on "The Floppy-Run is a signal of elephant fun!"
Dipesh Pabari on March 24th, 2008 at 10:33 am
After the rather sad series of events that we have been hearing about in the Amboseli region, it is such a pleasure to read (and watch :)!) the floppy side of the story! And it is contagious!!
sheryl, washington dc on March 24th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Neat! they do look very relaxed in the photo sequence. Thanks for this post, I love it. Ringling Brothers circus is here, just a block from my office at Verizon Center. I feel like joining PETA for a little protest action because the circus is THE DEVIL. Today, all the eles are walking in chains down Pennsylvania Avenue and people will flock to see them. It makes me stomach churn. In happier elephant news, I had a quiet moment at the zoo last Wednesday morning with our 5-year-old calf, Kandula. He was out in one of the yards by himself, his mother and “auntie” were inside so I asked him where they were. He raised his head from the bamboo he was munching, lifted his trunk and I think he was sniffing at me. It was cook that I got his attention for a moment. Smart boy. s.
sheryl, washington dc on March 24th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Cool, not cook. ::rollseyes:: s.
Anna on March 25th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Very good and a lovely sequence of photos, (I think the term floppy should almost be a copy right phrase for the ATFE and Cynthia Moss by now :-), a perfect description of true elephant joy and I wish that I maybe one day will be witness to one of these events in the wild..
Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL on March 25th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Just another reason to love em, thanks Joyce and Petter.
Siggi, San Diego on March 27th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I have been reading too many sad news about the ellies lately, so this is a wonderful change in news. Thank you so much for sharing. It put a big smile on my face!! Post a comment
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