Guiding

An elephant vocalising or moving its body, legs, ears or trunk in a manner that appears to be intended to show, guide, herd or escort another elephant(s) or that appears to act as a ‘heads-up’ or to galvanise and guide the action, timing and direction of others in the group. This behavior is primarily observed among adult females in Affiliative, Coalition Building, Attacking & Mobbing,  Movement Space & Leadership, Calf Reassurance & Protection and Calf Nourishment & Weaning contexts and among adolescent and juvenile females in Calf Reassurance & Protection and Calf Nourishment & Weaning contexts.

References: Bates et al 2008. (Full reference list)

This behavioral constellation includes the following behaviors: Coo-Rumble, Ear-Flap-Slide, Ear-Slap, Lets-Go-Rumble, Look-Back, Periscope-Trunk, Purposeful-Walk, Pushing, Trunk-Sweep, Trunk-to-Body, Trunk-to-Infant-at-Breast, Trunk-to-Face, Trunk-to-Genitals, Trunk-to-Mouth, Trunk-Toward, Walk-Wait and occurs in the following context(s): Affiliative, Calf Nourishment & Weaning, Calf Reassurance & Protection, Coalition Building, Movement, Space & Leadership