Joyce Poole, a conservation biologist with a doctorate in elephant behavior at Cambridge University, said responses from elephants are a defensive position known as “bunching,” and are typical responses to threats. “When they're nearby, they feel safer,” she said.
When it comes to bundles, elephants often point to their tusks, their ears stretch, their eyes wide open, and they try to smell the potential threat. “Like a wheel spoke,” Dr. Poole said, “We gave the group a 360-degree vision of the surroundings to identify the danger.” The younger members instinctively seek the most protected position in the circle, she said.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park has an earthquake on display showing some details of the group's dynamics, Mindy Albright, the park's mammal curator, told The Associated Press. (The San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo are both run by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.)
A female calf known as Mkhaya sought the safety of the inner circle of the elephant, but a male calf named Zuli squares it with Matriyaki on the outside, striving to demonstrate his courage and independence. You can see two older female elephants, Nudolla, Zuri's mother, and Koshi, a teenage elephant who helped raise him, slamming his side on his side and meeting their trunks face to face, as if to say, “Things are fine” and “Go back to the circle.”
Researchers believe that elephants can feel trembling through their legs, and even over long distances, they can sense small vibrations caused by lightning, calls from other elephants, and engravings by other animals. “They detect that animals are running, so there are things that can be scary,” Dr. Poole said.
