Each species in an elephants diet is eaten differently. Watch how Maasai Mara Matriarch f0263 snacks on a small Acacia drepanolobium or Whistling Thorn. First she steps on it with her right foot and kicks it about a bit to weaken its hold. Then she grabs it with her trunk and prepares to step on it again. She grabs the whole stem with her trunk and pulling her trunk upward she creates a good clump. She grasps those branches with her trunk and, while holding the stem down with her right foot, she pulls her trunk upward and strips the branches off. Then, having broken the stem with her foot she walks off with the remains of the young tree. And eats it whole:-). Elephant foraging involves mind and movement and is a major activity as well as a cognitive challenge for any wild elephant - which is only one of many reasons why captive elephants presented with a pile of hay in an enclosure do not thrive. Thank you for your time and interest - we will continue to feed you with more #elephant insight:-)
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000
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