Elephant Communication
In Elephant Communication, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes how a mother elephant guides her baby back to their herd, using low-frequency communication to call to them. The baby finds protection within the herd and begins to bond with the matriarch. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
Lesson Express
Q: How does the mother elephant try to find the herd?
A: She makes a low rumbling sound that carries for six miles.
Q: How is the elephant reunion similar to a human one when a new baby is present?
A: The extended family all want to see and touch the baby and the baby elephant hides behind its mother’s legs, just like a shy kid would.
Q: How does the matriarch communicate and why?
A: She makes a loud noise to let the extended family know she wants to be alone with the baby. It is important for them to bond.
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