THE WILD GUIDE

Having been privileged enough to spend time with these majestic animals, I can certainly concur with Mitch Reardon’s view that there is indeed something extraordinary about them. It is difficult to pinpoint, but perhaps their clear family bonds, the way in which they look after their young and infirm, and the complexity of their communication may go some way to explaining it. Elephant behaviour is multifaceted, comprising greeting and courtship ceremonies, mother-calf interactions, play, predator response and aggression acts, and dominance and submission displays. Each of these behaviours has its