Baby Elephant Phabeni is Surrounded by the Huddle of His New Family

You can frequently see African elephants creating a wall of protection around the smallest and most vulnerable in their herd when they sense danger or a threat. They are truly the best bodyguards. Elephants have been seen to do this around a pregnant female in their herd as she gives birth and predators loom closely, such as hyena. Watch in this video as the herd huddle around Phabeni on several occasions out in the bush.

The primary role of elephant family units is to protect and raise the calves. The next generation… Especially with Phabeni being kept back at the orphanage on some days while he was sick, the herd became extra protective over him. They were very attentive when the calf was back among their giant legs.

Older cows in a herd work together to assist in looking after the calves. Where there are more females looking after the babies in a herd, the calves are more likely to survive. The females share this huge responsibility as life in the wild is full of threats and surprises. Elephants can smell and hear threats from far away, often when we as humans cannot detect anything.

The old and young bulls in our herd also offer protection to members in their family. Ours is a very unique herd since usually bulls break away from the matriarchal herd once they reach their teenage years. Our rescued herd includes bulls from 11 months (Phabeni) to 38 years (Sebakwe) of age. The elephants take family seriously. They are herd animals, and ensuring they all stay together and safe in the bush is vital to them. Huddling together when stressed or uncertain ensures they can account for everyone and protect those who need help.