Elephants cool off in lagoon
Earth-Touch.com requires JavaScript and an up-to-date Flash Player.
Enable Javascript in your browser, and download the Flash Player from Adobe.
Image gallery
Download
Choose a stream to save on your computer
Click on one of the options on the right to download the video to your computer.
Remember: The higher the resolution, the clearer the video and the crisper the detail. The HD clips provided look best on big plasma and LCD screens.
Duration: 03:59Filesize: About 135 MB
Resolution: 1280x720
Filesize: About 76 MB
Resolution: 854x480
04 Dec, 2007
Two herds have a refreshing soak and drink on a hot afternoon - and some kudu get a warning.
On our way out of camp in the Okavango Delta of Botswana today we saw signs of elephants moving through the area and after a while saw the tail end of a small herd heading into an island. We moved around the island to the edge of the floodplain on the far side and waited for the elephants to come down to the water. Soon thereafter a bachelor herd moved out of the forest.
This group contained one large, mature bull and four still adolescent bulls. It is somewhat unusual to see so many young bulls with a single older bull but he seemed to tolerate them.
They all made directly for a large leadwood tree (Combretum imberbe) that had been pushed or had fallen over. They fed on the leadwood for some time before moving off to drink and swim.
The two eldest of the group made their way into a deep lagoon in the middle of the floodplain and spent a long time almost completely submerged, obviously taking full advantage of the relief the cool water provided from the heat of the afternoon.
While they were swimming a small breeding herd came rushing out of the island and down to the water’s edge. They were clearly desperate to get to the water and the young calves, especially, seemed buoyed by the refreshing drink and bath.
One young cow, as she came out of the forest, whipped around and lunged into the bush after some kudu that were browsing in the treeline. She then decided to walk backwards down to the water. She backed up for a long way before tripping over her own feet and then proceeding in a more conventional manner.
Eventually, after the breeding herd had moved off, the largest of the bulls emerged from the water. He made his way back past us and into the island. After such an extended swim, this bull was immaculately clean: his skin a dark ebony and his ivory almost perfectly white. He was magnificent in this condition.
– by Graham Springer, Earth-Touch crew © Earth-Touch
More about this clip
Country: Botswana
Habitat: Rivers, Lakes and Wetlands, Okavango Delta
Location: Okavango Delta
Tags: Okavango, Delta, Elephant, Herd, Island, Floodplain, Bachelor, Forest, Group, Mature, Bull, Adolescent, Leadwood, Tree, Combretum imberbe, Drink, Swim, Lagoon, Submerge, Cool, Water, Heat, Breed, Cow, Kudu, Clean, Skin, Ebony, Ivory, White, Elephant, Mammals, Vertebrates, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa, Rivers, Lakes and Wetlands
Comments
subscribe to commentsriaanp
said on 22 Feb, 2008
Did a Google search - seems elephants do NOT have perspitory glands!
"Because the elephant´s skin does not have perspiratory glands, the elephants have to cool themselves in another way.
They have great ears working like coolers. Behind the ears, under the fine skin, run thousands of very fine veins. When the elephants flutter with the ears, the draught cools the capillary vessel blood and thus the body. This has the same effect as when a dog hackles or when we, in great heat, hold our wrists in cold water. Fluttering with the ears is very efficient for elephants." Src: http://www.upali.ch/skin_en.html
Fantastic creatures!
riaanp
said on 22 Feb, 2008
Looking at these elephants, I can't help but wonder if it is possible for them to perspire? Its a whopping 37 degrees there and one can't help but wonder.
Great clip! Love the baby ellie and the clean bull at the end! Fantastic!
