Elephant Female with Youngsters

Caption: Elephant female taking care of a pair of youngsters, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana © Scotch Macaskill

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel (EOS 300D); Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS zoom; Focal Length: 100mm; Shutter Speed: 1/125; Aperture: f/5.6; ISO: 800.

In elephant society, the basic social unit comprises a group of related females consisting of a mother and her younsters plus her grown daughters and their offspring.

The members of such a family unit stick together, with activity and movement determined by the matriarch, who is usually the largest cow. If disturbed, the others immediately cluster around the matriarch and follow her lead.

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