Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (1)

Selengei's 6 year male calf walks along side of her in a Solicit-Suckling posture. She stops and adopts a Suckling-Stance and he Suckles. She begins to move again and he rubs against her - Social-Rubbing - and then he Solicit-Suckling from the other side. Again she stops and he Suckles again. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (2)

Little E is 3 days old. He looks to be about to explore when his mother touches him and stops him in his tracks. He gives a Husky-Cry and we hear a Coo-Rumble response. She touches him again and he gives a softer Husky-Cry. He begins to try to suckle (Solicit-Suckling) and is searching here and there with his trunk raised in a Trunk-Toward or Periscope-Trunk posture. Mama Little E is feeding. We hear a Let's Go-Rumble and she begins to walk; Little E follows her. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (3)

Little E is 3 days old. He approaches his mother with trunk raised and Solicit-Suckling. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (4)

Adult female Rosetta and her 7 year old daughter are in view. Rosetta's daughter Solicit-Suckle using her trunk to grasp her mother's breast, but Rosetta Reject-Suckle using her "elbow" to push her daughter away. Her daughter tries to cozy up to her mother by going in front of her and under her Social-Rubbing and then tries to get in on the other side - but there is no space. She stays for some moments standing face to face with her mother. After the end of the clip she tries around the back but that attempt does not work either. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (5)

Walli's 5 year old male is pushing hard against her demanding to Suckle - Solicit-Suckling. At the beginning I can hear him give a Begging-Rumble that is all but drowned out by the wind. She relents and puts a leg forward. He Suckles briefly. Toward the end we see her infant female appear on the other side. She has not yet weaned her male calf. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (6)

Ruby and her 1.5 year male calf are walking. The calf Solicits-Suckling running alongside his mother with a Periscope-Trunk. He makes an extra effort to stop Ruby by pushing his head against her side. He succeeds and Ruby stops and adopts a Suckle-Stance and he Suckles. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (7)

A 6 year old male is walking persistently alongside his mother, Selengei, Solicit-Suckling. He walks very closely to her touching her body in a kind of Social-Rub. She stops and permits him to Suckle, briefly. Then she begins to walk again and he Ear-Brushes against her. He tries the other side again walking persistently and then reaching his Trunk-Toward her breast. She stop and he Suckles. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (8)

A mother and her 1 year old calf walk toward camera in the dusk. The calf has her trunk raised in a Periscope-Trunk posture Solicit-Suckling. The mother stops and adopts a Suckling-Stance and the calf Suckles. An adolescent female approaches from behind and the groups begins to move again. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (9)

Big Mama's large family is on the move. f0043's 5 year old female calf uses several behaviors book to Solicit-Suckling. As she walks behind her mother she uses her trunk to grasp her mother's right hind leg (Grasp-Leg). That not working she moves to the other side and snakes her trunk around to touch or pinch her mother's genitals (Trunk-to-Genitals) and then again Grasps-Leg. None of these attempts work the calf walks persistently alongside her mother with trunk raised (Periscope-Trunk). f0043 pause and her calf Suckles briefly before adopting Periscope-Trunk again. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (10)

Little E is 1 month old. Grumpy Grandma starts to move and as she does someone "off-stage" begins a series of Cadenced-Rumbles. As she passes Little E starts to follow her but is stopped by Lorato who distracts him by a Trunk-to-Genitals Caress (Note that Grumpy Grandma is grumpy and has kicked and tusked Little E away a few times). As Little E walks away she reaches her trunk to touch him on his hind leg, again seemingly to distract him and draw his attention to her. She swivels her body to apparently offer her breast to him. Little E turns and begins to search for it with Periscope-Trunk. She bumps his trunk in the right direction in a Trunk-to-Infant-at-Breast type movement, but he is at her front rather than her side. He gets to the right position and she moves her left leg forward in a Suckle-Stance and he tries to Comfort-Suckle. She reaches back a couple of times in a Trunk-to-Infant-at-Breast movement as if showing him. The family begins to walk by. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (11)

Berta, gf0009, is Listening and Head-Swinging. She has a newborn and a 4.5 year old calf both of whom were Double-Suckling before this clip starts. The older calf was Suckling on her right side and came around to her left side, where the newborn is standing, and Solicits-Suckling with a Trunk-Torward. Berta begins to walk and the calf gives up and returns to the other side. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (12)

Provocadora, gf0012, stands Contemplating us with a J-Trunk. Her calf adopts a Periscope-Trunk as she tries to Solicit-Suckling, but Provocadora has other things on her mind and begins a Purposeful-Walk Advance-Toward us as she initiates a Group-Advance. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Solicit-Suckling

Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (13)

Berta, gf0009, is with a newborn who is just learning to Solicit-Suckling and is seen standing with Periscope-Trunk by her mother’s breast. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)