The video has over 38 million views on Twitter.
Baby elephants are adorable and watching them learn new things is beautiful, but they don’t learn how to control their trunks for a year and we have proof.
A video is going viral on Twitter where a baby elephant could be seen swinging its trunk like a helicopter or a turbine fan. What makes the video more adorable is the birds near the elephant and it looks like the elephant is playing with them.
Baby elephants typically don’t learn to control their trunks until they’re about a year old, which may result in behavior like this. pic.twitter.com/DSMdrpHQ5L
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) October 19, 2022
The video has over 38 million views on Twitter and is captioned “Baby elephants typically don’t learn to control their trunks until they are about a year old, which may result in behavior like this.”
According to National Geographicthis seemingly strange behavior is common among calves and it’s often seen when they are learning to control their trunks.
Elephant expert Joyce Poole, says that this could be a type of displacement behavior, where elephants may not be quite sure about the social dynamics of the wallow and young elephants swing their feet and twist their trunks when they’re unsure of their next move.
Another user shared a clip he filmed 10 years ago, where a “little chappie” was trying to control his trunk and was proud when he plucked a single piece of grass.
Reminds me of this little chappie I filmed 10 years ago. Look how proud when he plucks a single piece of grass! pic.twitter.com/LU3wCmucuY
— DeeGee (@DavidGG60) October 19, 2022
According to the ranger’s blog at South Africa’s Tintswalo Safari Lodge, baby elephants stick their trunk in their mouth just like a human baby sticking their thumb in their mouth, with over 50,000 individual muscle units in the trunk, it’s a complex skill to learn.
The blog further explained that for about 6 to 8 months, the calves begin to learn to use their trunk for eating and drinking and when they are a year old they can control it pretty well like adult elephants.
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