![]() But although playing is fun for all involved-and fun for those who are watching-play behaviors evolved as ritualized forms of survival skills needed later in life, providing the opportunity to perfect those skills.Įngaging in play allows animals to experiment with new behaviors in a protected environment without dangerous consequences. People tend to think of play as an activity one engages in at one’s leisure, outside of learning important skills needed to succeed later in life, such as hunting, mating, and evading predators. And it is essential for developing the physical and cognitive faculties that animals need to survive and reproduce. It turns out that play, like other forms of interaction, has rules of engagement. These often chaotic observations inspired me to want to understand more about how animals play and what advantages this behavior might confer, not just to elephants but to all social creatures, including humans. I have witnessed the important role of play in calf development and family politics by watching members of my favorite elephant groups frolic at this water hole at sunset. During these daily visits, I always learn a new lesson about elephants-particularly when they play. ![]() My colleagues and I stand in the observation tower with a celebratory drink in hand, our binoculars trained on the horizon, hoping for a sunset visit like this one from one of our beloved resident families. Late afternoon is my favorite time of day during our field season in the austral winter-the air cools fast as the sun sinks low in the sky, painting the elephants a radiant pink. So after thoroughly assessing the clearing, the matriarch gave the word with a rumble and an ear flap, and the family began its approach to the water. ![]() For the youngsters in the group, however, more families meant more opportunities to play. Not only would exiting the security of the forest expose the family to predators, but an encounter with a higher-ranking elephant family could result in an aggressive interaction. They stood with their feet firmly planted, ears held straight out, as they sniffed what little remained of the prevailing wind for any potential danger. Another elephant family was amassing in the southeastern forest and heading our way, and the adult females were wary. I could see why this group was holding back, however. Several days may pass before they can return to the water hole for a drink and a reunion. As winter wears on, the environment dries out, and elephants have to venture farther from water to find enough to eat. Not only were they thirsty, but they had a lot of sparring to catch up on. The young males were particularly anxious to get going. ![]() Judging from how many trunks were stretched high, sampling the air, the group was itching to break cover and run for the water. Wind had deterred elephant families from visiting the water hole earlier-it interferes with their efforts to keep tabs on one another vocally-but with the air now still, our first customers of the day had finally appeared. I was scanning the horizon from the observation tower where my colleagues and I conduct our research at Mushara water hole. It was late afternoon in the winter scrub desert within Namibia’s Etosha National Park when I spotted a family of elephants on the southern edge of the clearing.
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