Sit with the Elephants!

"Sitting with the Elephants"
One of my favorite things to do on safari is to sit with a herd of elephants. Watching their social structure is very interesting and one can't wonder what the future of the largest land mammal on earth will be?
African elephants are usually divided into the savannah and the forest elephants.
They range from being highly protected in eastern Africa to areas in southern Africa where they can be legally hunted and are also "culled" meaning killed to try to keep their numbers manageable given the amount of land they use.
This is controversial as some wildlife groups would prefer to see them transported to lower populated areas as hunting leads to abandoned calves which at times can grow up to become rogue elephants killing the endangered rhinos. Elephants are also illegally poached for their ivory tusks.
*(Recently a large African goverment stockpile of Ivory was legally sold to China with an ok from CITES to help the demand, but it only made it worse and new reports show wild elephants are still being poached)
Illegal ivory is also confiscated here in the U.S.
New reports show a huge drop in populations of forest elephants in the Congo in central Africa.
There are approx 500,000+/- African elephants in the wild. Elephants, like humans and apes, have the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror and are very intelligent.
The elephants trunk filled with thousands and thousands of muscles can be gentle enough to choose between different blades of grass or powerful enough to uproot a tree. Elephants will sometimes attack and kill humans both in the wild and in captivity.
For ways to help the elephant:

African Wildlife Foundation:
http://www.awf.org

Amboseli Trusts for Elephants:
http://www.elephanttrust.org

Sheldrick's orphan elephants & rhinos
http://www.daphnesheldrick.com

IUCN Elephant page:
http://data.iucn.org/themes/ssc/sgs/afesg/

Thanks for watching and please subscribe to my You Tube videos.
*Footage filmed in Kenya, Africa

Category:

Pets & Animals

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[DjumaWildlifeGirl]

Elephants are so beautiful and amazingly fascinating beings. Just being in their presence is breath taking and emotionally inspiring. You have such wonderful footage, and you have captured the true meaning of "elephant"!

[briczar22]

There is nothing like seeing an elephant herd in the wild. I wish every animal lover could have that chance.

Thanks for watching my video.

[xXCrimson8o8Xx]

would u have back up if a elephant charged u

[briczar22]

It all depends. Sometimes the drivers turn the jeeps off if they feel ok with the group. If it is a charging big bull elephant or a concerned mother, then of course you back up and get out of there. Or if they feel it is a bluff charge they will stay, and hold ground so the elephants don't think they can just push jeeps around all day.

[randomness72838]

you realize you could have been killed right?

good vid though

[briczar22]

There is always some risk, but in this situation it is very, very slim as the guides know which elephants they can get the jeeps close to. They read their body language, as well as we didn't overstay our welcome.

[Art4261]

because the bible can't prove anything, it was written hundreds of years ago by a group of shepherds, and since then has been altered and manipulated numerous times - the only credibility it has is the fact that so many people have believed it for so long, but so many people can also be wrong, isn't that the case with other 'holy' books? and tell me why creation makes more sense than evolution - consider it your task to prove that creation is true, by showing every other option is incorrect

[ScientificExploits]

@Art4261 And even if they do show every other option incorrect they still has to show that theirs is! HAHA

[nadz1822]

Elephants are so beautiful and caring.I love them.Nice video =)

[rubiconsedge]

@Art4261  Good answer!

[BetterDayz19]

want one for pet.. NAO!!

[kylgrv]

That elephant at 1:06 looked like he/she was going to charge.

[condoms180]

@laurensmalter who said i drive super close to them, i know the facts, im not some bloody tourist. though again you assume i don't know shit when i do.

[laurensmalter]

@condoms180 Who are you to call me a dumb fuck, I'm around an African Elephant daily.. I respect her, she respects me and that's why she never harmed me.. A truck that makes alot of noise and just drives into their territory and get's too close is a definate treat to them.. They're always pissed about it, but they won't always charge.. It's a waiting game..

[condoms180]

@laurensmalter thats what i ment dumb fuck, i lived in Botswana for 11 years so i get around enough to know what im talking about. you repeated what i said in more detail.