Strip-Bark

Using the tusks and fingers of the trunk tip to loosen and remove tree bark. The bark is typically removed by pulling it off in long strips. This technique takes experience and tends to be limited to adolescents and adults.

References: Douglas-Hamilton 1972: ch 6,7. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Foraging & Comfort Technique

Strip-Bark

Context: Foraging & Comfort Technique (1)

A young female with short tusks works to strip bark off of part of a felled Faidherbia albida tree that has recently been pushed over. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Strip-Bark

Context: Foraging & Comfort Technique (2)

Gogogo tolerates the Mabenzi family cows and calves and bulls feeding around him and taking from his tree. In this clip an adolescent female uses her trunk (not tusks) to pull bark from the tree trunk he is feeding on. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Strip-Bark

Context: Foraging & Comfort Technique (3)

An elephant uses his tusk as a lever to break branch, his trunk to grasp and teeth to bite off. His goal seems to be to strip the bark from the branch. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Strip-Bark

Context: Foraging & Comfort Technique (4)

A female steps on part of a branch that she is stripping to hold it in place. Then she raises the rest of the branch upwards and inserts her tusk into a section and lifts her head sharply to separate the bark from the pith of the branch. This is a good example of foot, trunk and tusk coordination. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Strip-Bark

Context: Foraging & Comfort Technique (5)

Mama Little E and others are stripping bark from Acacia trees. Notice how they insert their tusk under the bark and pry it off, grasping any loose bark with the tip of the trunk and pulling off. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Strip-Bark

Context: Foraging & Comfort Technique (6)

Members of Little E’s family are stripping bark from Acacia trees. Notice how adept an adult female is at inserting her tusk under the bark and prying it off, and grasping any loose bark with the tip of her trunk and pulling off. An 18 month old male calf lacking tusks and technique finds already loosened bark, but still struggles to achieve his aim, resorting to trying to bite it off. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Strip-Bark

Context: Foraging & Comfort Technique (7)

A female works to Strip-Bark from a larger piece of bark already removed from the tree. Notice how she steps on the bark to stabilize it and then uses her trunk to separate a smaller, edible piece. In the close-up section we see how she uses her trunk fingers to manipulate the pieces of bark she wants. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)