Pushing

Pushing the head or base of trunk into the back, side, head or trunk of another to move it away or along or to assist it. Pushing comes in different forms and may be rough in aggressive contexts or very gentle in a situation where an elephant is attempting to help, herd or shepherd a family member.

All age/sex groups may be observed to Push in an Aggressive context; while adult, adolescent and juvenile females may Push in a Calf Reassurance & Protection context; and adult females in a Movement Space & Leadership context. Social Play context Pushing is most likely to involve males of all ages.

References: Lee 1986; Moss 1988; Langbauer 2000; Poole & Granli 2003; Poole & Granli 2004; Poole & Granli 2011; O’Connell-Rodwell et al 2011 [including Herding-Push]. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Aggressive, Calf Reassurance & Protection, Courtship, Movement, Space & Leadership, Social Play

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (1)

The context: The V family is waiting for matriarch Valda (adult female on left) to move; they want to go South East. Valda continues her vigilance. The others are becoming frustrated. Vanessa’s little baby is with a bunch of allomothers who are looking after it. There seems to be an altercation and a daughter of Vigilante Pushes another hard. Vigilante steps forward immediately to intervene (Adult-Intervention), while Vanessa, her infant and the other allomothers move forward to join Valda. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (2)

A 1 year old female has moved closer to Pat Derby's 1 year old male and begins feeding on a bush right next to where he is feeding. He pauses in his attempt to dislodge a sapling and pushes her away. Afterwards she reaches her trunk to his mouth, Trunk-to-Mouth, as if in a conciliatory gesture. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (3)

A one year old female walks into view. She is followed by a one year old male who Pushes her, causing her back leg to buckle. She stands back up and Tail-Swats him. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (4)

Selengei's family is standing in the shade of a tree resting. Some pushing starts. A bull (splayed tusked guy) pushes from the back and forces a juvenile male forward who then Pushes a calf out of the way. As he moves forward we can see he is being Tusked by the older male behind. He shakes his head in annoyance. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (5)

Selengei's family is resting in the shade of a tree. The family starts making intention movements as if they are going to depart. An adolescent female, allomother, appears concerned about the calf asleep on the ground and touches him as if to wake him. He struggles to his feed and emits a husky-cry. He appears annoyed at being disturbed and pushes his allomother aggressively. She touches him with her trunk (Trunk-to-Face) and then appears to collect himself and touches her more gently, both of these touches appear to be Conciliatory gestures. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (6)

A younger male calf (aged 3) was feeding on tree roots when an older male calf (aged 5) came and displaced him by gently Pushing the younger calf back. The younger calf, however, did not back off and continued to try to feed. The older calf Pushed again, a little more forcefully. Still the younger one continued to try to feed until the older calf Pushed him back hard and gave a sustained Look-At associated with aggressive Ear-Spreading. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (7)

There was tension around an estrous female and two males began an Escalated-Contest which lasted close to 4 hours. During this period they engaged in 3 bouts of Dueling. After two of these both males engaged in Check-Tusk. This clip is the last Dueling bout.

As the clip begins they Advance-Toward one another Ear-Spreading and Ear-Folding. They reach toward one another in reciprocal Trunk-to-Mouth. The broken-tusked male Backs-Away and the male with the longer tusks presses forward in a Circus-Pose. He Pushes the broken-tusked male back as they clash and we hear Tusks-Clank. The broken-tusked male then Pushes back. They separate. The broken-tusked male Backs-Away and they both Check-Tusks, longer tusked male Check-Tusks x 2 and then Advances-Toward his competitor who continues to Back-Away. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (8)

Noyeau has a newborn infant and several allomothers have been helping her to look after it. One of them, an 18 month old female, is also Suckling from Noyeau, though Noyeau is not her mother. This little female is trying to get to Noyeau's breast and the older allomother appears to try to stop her, Pushing her away. The littler female gets cross and Pushes her hard back. Then she tries to make her way to Noyeau's other breast, but is blocked by a 6 year old male who prevents her from getting through. She Pushes and Pushes but failed. Then she sees Nabila walk by and follows her and instead Solicits-Suckling from her and eventually manages to stop her and Suckles. We think that Nabila is her mother though the records do not show Nabila as having a calf of her age. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Aggressive (9)

The AA family is in Ol Tukai Orok. Angelina is with her infant twins when a 3 year old male (most likely Astrid's 2017, although his tusks seem long to be him) arrives Ear-Folding and begins Pushing, Kicking-Back, Head-Swiping and Tusking the twins. He even backs into and Leans on one pressing it into and under Angelina. We hear the infants give 2 Husky-Cries. Angelina is surprisingly gentle with him - she give him a Forward-Trunk-Swing and he stops. The allomothers look quite alarmed. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (1)

One young male Pushes another after a bout of sparring. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (2)

A four year old female is browsing when a less than 2 year old male calf comes up behind her and playfully Pushes her. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (3)

Two 18 month old male calves are playing. One has fresh Temporin. The male on the right is Mounting the male on the left - from the side. The male on the left Orients-Toward him and Pushes him off and away. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (4)

Two one year old male calves are at play, one following the other and Pushing him along. The male behind Grasp-Leg of the male ahead, who turns around to Push the male behind. Then roles are reversed again as the pushee becomes the pusher. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (5)

Two one year old males are playfully Pushing one another using moves akin to Dueling. The male on the left Pushes into the male on the right who Back-Away and takes a break to feed. He gets down to Bite-off-Vegetation, whereupon the male on the left Pushes him again. He gets up and Pushes, the other male with some force - almost like Ramming. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (6)

Little E is 4 days old and he is suddenly fascinated with his mother's trunk and begins Pushing it. He tries again but she uses it to touch his genitals instead (Trunk-to-Genitals). He tries Pushing her trunk again and then she holds his tail and he Shelters under her. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (7)

Three adolescent males are having a playful brawl. One male uses the side of his body to Push another and then turns to Push or Tusk him away. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (8)

Families of elephants are leaving a pool where they have been Swimming and playing for a long while. As they reach the bank they continue to engage in social play. Some Clamber out to follow their mothers. Two juvenile females, one tuskless, are Clambering up the bank and the tuskless female Pushes the tuskless back into the water. The tuskless finds another location to Clamber out, while the tuskless female takes her place on the bank. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Social Play (9)

Two males have been engaged in a bout of Sparring. During a pause they stand together, the larger male behind. The larger male Pushes the smaller male causing his legs to buckle slightly. Then he uses his trunk to touch him on his genitals, Trunk-to-Genitals, in what appears to be a Conciliatory gesture. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (1)

The group is moving while feeding with general movement forward. A 1.5 year old female calf stops to feed. A 6-7 year old male wants to keep moving and basically barges on through Pushing the calf sideways. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (2)

A young male walks over to adult female, Valente, gf0013, who is Urinating. He wants to test her and one of her calves in blocking him. He gently Pushes the calf out of the way and reaches his Trunk-to-Genitals. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (3)

In Slo-mo: Corojosa has initiated a Coalition through a series of Trunk-Sweeps and a Perpendicular-Walk. As the clip begins the family is coalescing and she and Bullet engage in High-Fiving. Corajosa seems to propel Bullet in the right direction for a Group-Advance toward us by Pushing her. This appears to be a form of Guiding. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (4)

This is Nalakite's family. As the clip starts we see two 4.5 year old male calves. A young adult female comes into view and Pushes the calf on the right out of the way so that her own calf can Suckle. Note that she reaches Trunk-to-Infant-at-Breast to see if he is Suckling ok - rather strange behavior considering the age of the calf. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (5)

Big Mama's family is Moving-While-Feeding. Big Mama slowly approaches an adolescent female who is standing still and, "scrunching" up her trunk, she uses it to gently Push the adolescent female forward. After clearing the space she uses her trunk to Sniff-Ground. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (6)

Big Mama uses her foreleg and body to gently Push her calf to the side so that she can access a branch. She puts her foreleg forward so that the calf can Suckle - as if in compensation. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (7)

Little E is only a few days old and is Sheltering under allomother Lorato. Allomother V-Notch swings her trunk toward him a couple of times and then touches him Trunk-to-Mouth - an action that attracts his attention. He totters over to her, whereupon she immediately uses this to her advantage and tries to Guide Little E away.

Meanwhile Mama Little E mother is behind both allomothers and is trying to retrieve Little E. She gives Lorato a gentle Push to reach Little E. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (8)

The adult female in center frame was feeding in this spot when the medium sized male (whose bum we see) moved into her space to Retreat-From another male who threatened him. As the clip begins, a large Advances-Toward a smaller male who Retreat-From.

In the next section the female in question pauses and then gently Pushes him out of the way so she can return to where she had been. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (9)

The clip begins with mother and female calf drinking in the river bed. The mother decides it is time to depart and gives her calf a Trunk-Nudge and then gently Pushes her and moves her along and lead her across the rocky stream. She moves very carefully over the loose and slippery rocks using her trunk to Test-Substrate. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (10)

Little E has found a pile of fresh dung and is eating from it - a behavior known as Coprophagia. A 2 year old female comes along and inspects what he is doing and then uses a gentle Push apparently to stop him from eating the poo and Guide him away from it.

We have seen this sort of intervention by older elephants before. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (11)

Little E is 7 days old and his family is resting peacefully under tree until Grumpy Grandma, f0412, comes. She gently but determinedly Pushes her way behind others into the shade. As Grumpy Grandma barges through we can see Mama Little E Eye-Blinking in attentiveness and concern. There is a lot of kerfuffle and some Rumbling. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (12)

Elephants are agitated and concerned about us. Nomada wants to get moving and gives gf0004 two Pushes. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Pushing

Context: Movement Space & Leadership (13)

The AAs are in the background with a musth male. Another AA female is in the foreground in a Periscope-trunk posture. She looks dozy. Another dozy female comes up behind her and doesn't seem to have the energy to go around her (They have been Resting nearby). She gently Pushes her and they resume their slow walk to the swamp edge. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Calf Reassurance & Protection (1)

Arora B (cousin) and Aspen (sister) are looking after one of Angelina's twins. There is competition over this role and Arora B twice gently Pushes Aspen aside. Finally Aspen leaves. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Pushing

Context: Courtship (1)

Pascal (circled) is Guarding Nastya (circled) when a young male comes up behind Nastya and Pushes her in an attempt to drive her away from Pascal. It was a nice try but it didn't work. (Amboseli, Kenya)