Trunk-Flick-Down

In a rapid movement, the distal portion of the trunk is curled up and around in a whorl and then flicked downward. Sometimes the whorl is omitted and only the flick-down is exhibited. Often associated with an exhale of breath. We do not have enough information on the contexts in which this behavior occurs, although we believe that it may be related to scenting and/or ambivalence.

References: Poole & Granli 2021. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Advertisement & Attraction, Ambivalent, Attentive, Social Play, Vigilance

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (1)

A young male appears to be following a trail of someone and Trunk-Flick x 3. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (2)

A young male is on the trail of someone, he Sniffs-Ground, engages in a long bout of Flehmen and does 10 Trunk-Flick-Downs. Three are circled. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (3)

V-Notch and Matriarch Grumpy Grandma f0412 are resting with others in the shade of a tree. We hear Little E Husky-Cry in the background. Grumpy Grandma f0412 does Trunk-Flick-Down x 2. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (4)

Matriarch Grumpy Grandma, f0412, is walking along and seems to suddenly get a whiff of something. We see her pause and as she start to turn back she does a Trunk-Flick-Down. Then she Sniffs-Ground before giving an Ear-Flap-Slide and returning to browse on a bush where V-Notch had been browsing. V-Notch leaves. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (5)

As a young male begins to walk he gives an Ear-Flap-Slide and two Trunk-Flick-Downs. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (6)

These Trunk-Flick-Downs by Carolyn follow a Greeting between Matriarch, Gina, and Carolyn. After Greeting Carolyn and Gina (mostly Carolyn) went into long series of Cadenced-Rumbles for several minutes. They continued to feed as they called - with the deep reverberating call. Then Gina started to walk and others followed.

As Carolyn walked past the car she gaves a couple of Trunk-Flick-Downs. The calling continued for a long time after and seemed to be related to the arrival of other family members. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (7)

Matriarch Grumpy Grandma f0412 does a Trunk-Flick-Down then sniffs plant and puts trunk in mouth as if testing, then give another Trunk-Flick-Down. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Attentive (8)

In slo-mo, a young male is walking along and engages in Trunk-Flick-Down. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Vigilance (1)

The C family is crossing the track ahead of us and is looking Apprehensive. gf0029 walks with her Chin-Up as she does a Trunk-Flick-Down. Note that she has a newborn with dislocated hip. This calf was still alive in 2019 and both in this clip and in 2019 holds her ears very high and stiff - we believe in a signal of pain. So sad. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Vigilance (2)

gm0015 is walking in an Apprehensive way and has been stopping to Look-Back. Then he stops to Listen. As he begins to walk again he gives a Trunk-Flick-Down and continues. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (1)

A male is Sniffing-Urine deposited by an estrous female several minutes before. Intermittently he presses his trunk fingers flat on the ground in a Place and occasionally exhibits Trunk-Flick-Down. When he departs a younger male who has been Queuing-Up repeats the pattern. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Flick-Down

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (2)

These two males have been engaged in an Escalated-Contest for close to three hours. The male on the left with the broken tusks has had assistance from an older male who intervened on his behalf at least 5 times. He has engaged in very aggressive behavior toward the longer tusked male. Now near the end of the interaction the helping male has departed and the male on the right, who is just larger, is able to assert his dominance.

Minutes before this clip, the broken tusked male Urinated and Defecated at this spot and the longer tusked male has come over to test it. He Sniffs-Urine and Sniffs-Dung and then engages in Trunk-Flick-Down and Flehmen. It is possible that the broken tusked male is coming into musth for the first time, which could explain his persistent aggression - either way the other male is likely testing his sexual state or body condition. (Amboseli, Kenya)