Rare Footage: Wild Elephants “Mourn” Their Dead | National Geographic

I was pretty amazed by this scene when

I was pretty amazed by this scene when we came across it you know you do hear

we came across it you know you do hear

we came across it you know you do hear these stories about elephants showing is

these stories about elephants showing is

these stories about elephants showing is this really keen interest in dead bodies

this really keen interest in dead bodies

this really keen interest in dead bodies of their species and it’s just a very

of their species and it’s just a very

of their species and it’s just a very hard thing to observe so to find a body

hard thing to observe so to find a body

hard thing to observe so to find a body to begin with is not that easy and then

to begin with is not that easy and then

to begin with is not that easy and then to be able to witness what happens

to be able to witness what happens

to be able to witness what happens afterwards where you have these other

afterwards where you have these other

afterwards where you have these other elephants exploring the body is an

elephants exploring the body is an

elephants exploring the body is an extremely rare event we found this group

extremely rare event we found this group

extremely rare event we found this group of elephants they were kind of a resting

of elephants they were kind of a resting

of elephants they were kind of a resting group they were all bunched together and

group they were all bunched together and

group they were all bunched together and as they started to disperse we found

as they started to disperse we found

as they started to disperse we found that their matriarch died she was an old

that their matriarch died she was an old

that their matriarch died she was an old female she was estimated to be about 55

female she was estimated to be about 55

female she was estimated to be about 55 years old at the time that she died the

years old at the time that she died the

years old at the time that she died the video that we’re looking at is two to

video that we’re looking at is two to

video that we’re looking at is two to three weeks after she died and so at

three weeks after she died and so at

three weeks after she died and so at that point you can tell that the body is

that point you can tell that the body is

that point you can tell that the body is kind of decayed a little bit and

kind of decayed a little bit and

kind of decayed a little bit and predators have been on it so most of the

predators have been on it so most of the

predators have been on it so most of the meat has been taken off but the

meat has been taken off but the

meat has been taken off but the elephants that were there that day in

elephants that were there that day in

elephants that were there that day in that spot were still really interested

that spot were still really interested

that spot were still really interested in her body so we’re seeing a lot of

in her body so we’re seeing a lot of

in her body so we’re seeing a lot of exploration and so you can see that

exploration and so you can see that

exploration and so you can see that these elephants are kind of holding

these elephants are kind of holding

these elephants are kind of holding their trunks out and smelling the body

their trunks out and smelling the body

their trunks out and smelling the body there’s a young male called um Tata who

there’s a young male called um Tata who

there’s a young male called um Tata who is picking up her dried ear and kind of

is picking up her dried ear and kind of

is picking up her dried ear and kind of exploring inside her skull and really

exploring inside her skull and really

exploring inside her skull and really investigating and then the other thing

investigating and then the other thing

investigating and then the other thing that I was just really amazed by was how

that I was just really amazed by was how

that I was just really amazed by was how much standing around there was you know

much standing around there was you know

much standing around there was you know elephants don’t waste a lot of time in

elephants don’t waste a lot of time in

elephants don’t waste a lot of time in terms of feeding I mean they have to

terms of feeding I mean they have to

terms of feeding I mean they have to feed for about 20 hours a day just to

feed for about 20 hours a day just to

feed for about 20 hours a day just to get all the nutrients that they need but

get all the nutrients that they need but

get all the nutrients that they need but they were just standing there and they

they were just standing there and they

they were just standing there and they weren’t resting but they were just kind

weren’t resting but they were just kind

weren’t resting but they were just kind of standing I thought that was really

of standing I thought that was really

of standing I thought that was really interesting if you look for it you can

interesting if you look for it you can

interesting if you look for it you can see that some of the elephants have

see that some of the elephants have

see that some of the elephants have streaming from their temporal glands so

streaming from their temporal glands so

streaming from their temporal glands so these are glands behind their eyes that

these are glands behind their eyes that

these are glands behind their eyes that will stream Temper in when they have

will stream Temper in when they have

will stream Temper in when they have sort of elevated levels of emotion and

sort of elevated levels of emotion and

sort of elevated levels of emotion and so you see them and do it when they’re

so you see them and do it when they’re

so you see them and do it when they’re really excited or you see them do it

really excited or you see them do it

really excited or you see them do it when they’re really stressed and the

when they’re really stressed and the

when they’re really stressed and the interesting thing is that you know the

interesting thing is that you know the

interesting thing is that you know the video that we’re looking at those are

video that we’re looking at those are

video that we’re looking at those are not her relatives at all she knew them

not her relatives at all she knew them

not her relatives at all she knew them those are other elephants in the popular

those are other elephants in the popular

those are other elephants in the popular that also use that area a lot I don’t

that also use that area a lot I don’t

that also use that area a lot I don’t know if elephants are mourning when I

know if elephants are mourning when I

know if elephants are mourning when I think of mourning I mean I think of that

think of mourning I mean I think of that

think of mourning I mean I think of that as a term that I only know really

as a term that I only know really

as a term that I only know really applied to humans you know if a person I

applied to humans you know if a person I

applied to humans you know if a person I know loses somebody in their life I can

know loses somebody in their life I can

know loses somebody in their life I can ask them how they’re feeling and they

ask them how they’re feeling and they

ask them how they’re feeling and they can tell me about grief I can’t do that

can tell me about grief I can’t do that

can tell me about grief I can’t do that with an elephant so it’s very hard to

with an elephant so it’s very hard to

with an elephant so it’s very hard to know if they mourn in the same way that

know if they mourn in the same way that

know if they mourn in the same way that we mourned they’re very different

we mourned they’re very different

we mourned they’re very different animals from us but one thing that we do

animals from us but one thing that we do

animals from us but one thing that we do know is that they have extremely strong

know is that they have extremely strong

know is that they have extremely strong social bonds which is very similar to

social bonds which is very similar to

social bonds which is very similar to humans and we see them exhibit these

humans and we see them exhibit these

humans and we see them exhibit these behaviors at dead bodies that they don’t

behaviors at dead bodies that they don’t

behaviors at dead bodies that they don’t exhibit otherwise and so there’s

exhibit otherwise and so there’s

exhibit otherwise and so there’s certainly something going on there

certainly something going on there

certainly something going on there whether it’s morning I can’t say but

whether it’s morning I can’t say but

whether it’s morning I can’t say but it’s certainly an interest in their dead

[Music]

[Music] to spend time with these baby elephants

to spend time with these baby elephants

to spend time with these baby elephants is just it recharges your soul

just to have them lead me into a group

just to have them lead me into a group of wild elephants and to be chaperoned

of wild elephants and to be chaperoned

of wild elephants and to be chaperoned they are protecting me whether they know

they are protecting me whether they know

they are protecting me whether they know it or not