Elephant personalities revealed by scientists

[Still Waters]

With their grey skin, mournful eyes and slow plodding gait, you could be forgiven for thinking elephants are uniformly melancholy creatures.

But scientists have now discovered the largest living land animals have personalities to match their size.

In a new study of African elephants, researchers have identified four distinct characters that are prevalent with a herd – the leaders, the gentle giants, the playful rogues and the reliable plodders.

http://www.telegraph...scientists.html

[Eldorado]

I notice 'the giant psycho' is missing from the groupings. Hm.

[Ashotep]

They usually don't turn into giant psychos until they have been around us for a while.

[TrueBeliever]

I have always wanted to meet some elephants, I have seen them of course at zoos and the circus. But I would like to visit them in their natural habitat. I think they are magnificent. i actually hate seeing them in circuses and zoos, makes me sad.

[Ashotep]

I rode an elephant one time at the Little Rock Zoo. It only cost a buck and I thought this would probably be my only chance. It was fun, your so high up and they are so big.

[Mistydawn]

I love it when the all-knowing Scientists discover things like animals have personalities....

[Eldorado]

They usually don't turn into giant psychos until they have been around us for a while.

There have been elephant serial-killers in the past! The Torso-in-the-Trunk Killer and Babar the Butcher to name just two.

Edited October 28, 2012 by Eldorado

[lightly]

and we've all met this type..

[your_dark_passenger]

I have always wanted to meet some elephants, I have seen them of course at zoos and the circus. But I would like to visit them in their natural habitat. I think they are magnificent. i actually hate seeing them in circuses and zoos, makes me sad.

Here are 2 photos that I clicked of a tusker in the wild.

Edited October 29, 2012 by your_dark_passenger

[Bling]

I love elephants, I've stroked one and it felt amazing!

Plus they make my bum look small

[Sundew]

I notice 'the giant psycho' is missing from the groupings. Hm.

I was at an Elephant camp in Chang Mai, Thailand and got to ride one of the beasts. They are immensely powerful and can easily drag a huge log, cross a swift river, etc. A friend was at the camp at another time and noticed one elephant off on its own chained by one leg to a tree, it was stretching to try and get to the pile of bananas that they give the elephants as treats. Feeling sorry for the pachyderm, my friend went over and started feeding bananas out of hand, one after another. Just then one of the mahouts came running up yelling, "Get away from that elephant, it has killed four people!!" So perhaps they do have the occasional giant psycho elephant.

[Catz]

I was at an Elephant camp in Chang Mai, Thailand and got to ride one of the beasts. They are immensely powerful and can easily drag a huge log, cross a swift river, etc. A friend was at the camp at another time and noticed one elephant off on its own chained by one leg to a tree, it was stretching to try and get to the pile of bananas that they give the elephants as treats. Feeling sorry for the pachyderm, my friend went over and started feeding bananas out of hand, one after another. Just then one of the mahouts came running up yelling, "Get away from that elephant, it has killed four people!!" So perhaps they do have the occasional giant psycho elephant.

Elephants have just as good memories as humans. Perharps, this elephant was aggresive towards humans as it has been hurt before? They are such amazing animals and there is nothing cuter than a baby elephant! It's amazing how much human nature is part of these huge beasts. The way they would stay with one of their dead for more that a week before moving on - with actual tears from their eyes. I just love them.