Happy Elephants

Just as we feel deep emotions, so do these gentle giants. Katie Rowe, co-founder of Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Kenya, tells Kazoo how elephants express themselves:

“We took in a baby elephant last year, who’d lost her mom. She was completely heartbroken and alone, and she just wanted to give up. But every day, I’d go and talk to her. After five days, we were getting worried that she wouldn’t make it. So, we put a stack of rubber tires in her stable, and I climbed inside with a bottle. The tires were for my protection in case she charged me. Was I scared? No. She was already scared, and so for her to be brave, I knew I had to be brave too.

Katie Rowe, co-founder of Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

Illustration by Corinna Luyken

I sat inside of those tires all day, and I never stopped talking. Eventually, she came over and rested her head on the tires. I put my hand on her and offered her the bottle. I was so relieved when she started to drink.

Shaba will be ready to return to the wild in a few years, but for now, she’s become the mother to all of the baby elephants in our sanctuary. And when new babies come in, she nurtures them and brings them into the herd. It’s all about love. We are all connected, and we must all look after each other.

Happy Elephant!

Photo by Media Production/istockphoto

Katie Rowe says each of the 13 baby elephants currently at Reteti drink a 2-liter bottle of milk every three hours around the clock. That’s 16 liters a day!

How Elephants Show Emotion:

They hug! When an elephant feels scared, others will stroke her with their trunks. “They always care for each other,” says Katie.

Hugging Elephants!

Photo by Henk Bentlage/istockphoto

They pout! ”When they get frustrated, baby elephants throw temper tantrums,” she says. Just like human toddlers, they’ll sit or lie down on the ground to prove their point.

Pouting Baby Elephant!

photo by John Michael Vosloo/shutterstock

They get silly! When elephants are feeling playful, they’ll waggle their heads, roll around together, and splash in mud puddles. “They can be so goofy,” says Katie.

Playful Elephants

photo by Leigh Gregg/istockphoto

Wanna try communicating like an elephant? Can you flap your ears? If not, how do you show your emotions?