A short (1.5-3 seconds in duration) loud, Open-Mouthed, highly modulated, and acoustically noisy ‘wooooaaaarrrrr' or ‘barooo' sounding rumble by an infant, calf, or, on occasion, juvenile that carries a protesting, or whining tone. This call tends to be produced when an infant or calf is comforted by a family member after suffering some ‘injustice’ (e.g. have been pushed, kicked, tusked, denied access to the breast) or after experiencing something frightening or distressing. We refer to this call as a Baroo-Rumble.
This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Calf Reassurance & Protection, Protest & Distress
Baroo-Rumble
Context: Calf Reassurance & Protection (1)
A female calf in Big Mama's family is separated from her mother. As she approaches her mother an adolescent female in the foreground touches her Trunk-to-Mouth while Head-Raising and Ear-Lifting while another adolescent female touches her Trunk-to-Mouth behind this one. She cries out with a Baroo-Rumble and as she is touched. She goes to the second adolescent female and Comfort-Suckles. The young females likely give Coo-Rumbles but we cannot hear them due to the wind. The calf's mother is the female in the left foreground eating a branch. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Baroo-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (1)
Annelies of the ABDC family has a newborn who is having difficult getting across the ditches along the road. Annelies is being helped by a couple of allomothers, but is in the midst of a larger aggregation with the MBs who are not totally friendly. Something happens on the road between Annelies and Maria, we think, and Annelies steps forward away from her infant and with Open-Mouth gives what seems to be a Baroo-Rumble. Then Maria comes forward Ear-Folding and there are a couple of Alarm-Trumpets, likely from the allomothers. Annelies steps back to Retrieve her infant joining the two allomothers.
Meanwhile Maria Kicks-Back toward the infant. Mother and allomothers touch the infant with their trunks and one allomother Urinates. Another MB female is sniffing the infant from behind and the Head-Shakes. As Annelies Shepherds her infant off the road another two MB females step up onto the road behind them. There is a Trumpet. (Amboseli, Kenya)
Baroo-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (2)
The NDs are trying to Drink at a rather difficult place with a steep bank.As the clip starts Ndabele has just been Pushed over by a female from another family, it seems. We missed that part but we see Ndabele on the ground and her mother, Nashota, using her trunk and tusks to Lift her up, Helping her to her feet. Ndabele gives a powerful Baroo-Rumble with an Open-Mouth. We can see that her mother is also Rumbling. She touches Ndabele Trunk-to-Mouth and Ndabele gives another Open-Mouth Baroo-Rumble.
Other family members comes rushing over to see what is wrong and there is Rumbling by Nashota and others. Then for a third time Ndabele gives a long Open-Mouth Baroo-Rumble. Someone Trumpets. A long low frequency throbbing Rumble follows. Perhaps directed at the female who Pushed her? Ndabele comes to the fore and bends down to Drink. Then as she moves away, the female who we think Pushed her comes forward and bends down to Drink while the others walk away, Ndabele Head-Shakes and follows the others. (Amboseli, Kenya)
Baroo-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (3)
We are not confident that this is a Baroo-Rumble but have included it here with an explanation. Queiroz's 6 month male calf has wandered off before and Queiroz was earlier seen calling for him. At that time he came to her and Suckled. But throughout a long period of Suckling (over 7 minutes) he was complaining - with Begging-Rumbles, Cry-Rumbles and Roars because his mother kept moving and he wasn't getting what he wanted. There is a lot of uneasiness in the group because Qadija is in estrus and about to Mate and adult males are moving through the group disrupting the peace.
In this clip we see Queiroz and her calf walking away and then we see the estrus female walk from left to right in the background. Queiroz seems to anticipate the approaching of fast-moving males and pauses and calls to her calf, who answers, overlapping her call with what sounds like a Baroo-Rumble in a sort of complaining tone. He calls and then continues to move away from her and walks on to stand with two other females before we lose sight of him. We have circled the moment he calls as well as his location and his mother's. Could he have complained because he did not want to stay with her? Or was this not a Baroo-Rumble but just an answer to her call? We are unsure. (Amboseli, Kenya)
Elettra, aged four, is separated from her mother, Ella. Her aunt, Echo, touches her and Coo-Rumbles to her to reassure her. Elettra respond with a complaining tone Baroo-Rumble and gets Temporin. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
In Amboseli a five year old had gone off with another group. He became frightened when he realized that he was 'lost', and began Contact-Calling until he was able to locate his family again. This Baroo-Rumble was given as he received comfort from his family after his difficult experience. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Infant Explorer and his mother, Elspeth, are with Eudora (Explorer's grandmother) and her hours-old infant. Eudora has just been through a terrible experience with an adult male being very rough with her newborn baby and earlier with hyenas trying to kill it. She is not very tolerant and Explorer feels hard done by. He gives a Baroo-Rumble and Elspeth responds to his call with a reassuring Coo-Rumble. The high pitched sounds are made by the newborn suckling. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Infant, Explorer, and his mother, Elspeth, are with Eudora (Explorer's grandmother) and her hours-old infant. Eudora has just been through a terrible ordeal with an adult male being very rough with her baby and earlier with hyenas trying to kill it. She is not very tolerant. She pushes Explorer away when he tries to touch her infant. Explorer Roars and his mother comes out from the swamp to reassure him. As she does he makes two Baroo-Rumbles. These overlap with a reassuring Coo-Rumble by his mother. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Infant, Explorer, and his mother, Elspeth, are with Eudora (Explorer's grandmother) and her hours-old infant. Eudora has just been through a terrible ordeal with an adult male being very rough with her baby and earlier with hyenas trying to kill it. She is not very tolerant. She pushes Explorer away when he tries to touch her infant. Explorer Roars and his mother comes out from the swamp to reassure him. As she does he makes a Baroo-Rumble. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Infant, Explorer, and his mother, Elspeth, are with Eudora (Explorer's grandmother) and her hours-old infant. Eudora has just been through a terrible ordeal with an adult male being very rough with her baby and, earlier, with hyenas trying to kill it. She is not very tolerant. She pushes Explorer away when he tries to touch her infant. Elspeth comes over to reassure him and he makes these Baroo-Rumbles. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Eudora's son, Eldon, age seven, is limping. Eudora and other females wait for him. As he limps up to them, they reach out and touch him to comfort him. He gives a Baroo-Rumble, which is overlapped by reassuring Rumbles by the adults. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
