Tafika Update – March 2018

In February, Tafika engaged with a wild bull elephant, which the team at the Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) were very excited about.

Just one month on and another exciting interaction occurred! Accompanied by several of his surrogate siblings, Tafika approached another wild bull of a similar age to him whilst on a daily bush walk with the keepers, however, he remained submissive which suggests that he has the social understanding of how to behave in the presence of wild elephants. He appeared a little scared at first but secured some confidence thanks to the presence of the other orphans. The last one to approach the bull, Tafika edged closer and closer to him until they were within touching distance of each other. Tafika’s submissive behaviour was well received and indicated that he posed very little threat to the bull, which allowed for some playful interactions between the two of them. With touching trunks, this engagement was a wonderful sight for the keepers to witness.

Tafika’s continuous social development is a positive sign of the success of his rehabilitation. After spending nine years in the care of the dedicated team at EOP, Tafika is now displaying the desire to move away from his comfort zone. If such behaviour continues, Tafika could permanently join a wild bachelor herd in the near future!

We look forward to sharing more stories, habits and personality with you in the year ahead! If you are interested in learning more about this iconic species or the other animals that we work hard to protect please visit our website 

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