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Each photograph in the slideshow below has a caption with the name of the Behavior or Constellation it illustrates. A click on the photograph will take you to a description of the Behavior or Constellation documented with video and/or audio examples. The slideshow contains around 130 selected Behaviors and Constellations of the over 425 described in The Elephant Ethogram.
An undulating Rumble of medium duration (~1.5-3.5 seconds) with an audibly detectable and distinctive complaining or whining tone. We refer to this as a Grumble-Rumble. This call is typically heard when the calling elephant, often a calf or younger elephant, has been thwarted or mistreated in some manner.
For example, when a mother denies a Begging calf access to her breast, the calf may escalate Begging-Rumbles into a more modulated or undulating and sometimes open-mouthed Grumble-Rumble. A calf gently Tusked, Head-Swiped or Pushed out of the way may Grumble-Rumble. We have also recorded a semi-captive elephant Grumble-Rumble when prevented by her caregivers from going to the roadside where she was accustomed to begging for food from tourists.
This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Calf Nourishment & Weaning, Calf Reassurance & Protection, Submissive, Protest & Distress
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (1)
Ruby's 6 year male has been trying to Suckle for a while and has been complaining with Roars, Cries and Grumble-Rumbles. He leans into her on her left side and she Kicks-Back at him. He goes around the other side to try and she keeps him at bay by using a Body-Nudge and by using her tail to swat him (Tail-Swatting). He leans back and gives a Grumble-Rumble. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (2)
Big Mama and family Moving-While-Feeding. We see a 4.5 year old female calf walking alongside its mother begging to suckle (holding onto her mother's leg - Grasp-Leg, and walking persistently alongside her mother and in a Periscope-Trunk posture). Her mother stops briefly to allow her calf to Suckle and then moves on with the group. The calf Solicits-Suckling again and again and we see the mother pause. Then while the camera is on Big Mama at the lead we hear the calf give a Grumble-Rumble complaining we assume because its mother keeps moving. Later we hear a Roar and Cry. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (3)
Walli is struggling with two calves wanting to Suckle, a 5 year old male and an infant female. She has not done a good job at weaning the older calf and he is very persistent and taking his anger out on his sister who is very distressed.
This clip follows another one in which the female has been Roaring in distress while Walli tried to stop the male from Suckling. In this clip we see her almost box him with her trunk, reaching back and hitting his ear and then we see his body jolt as she Kicks-Back at him. He complains with a prolonged Grumble-Rumble. She walks away and he follows and Grumble-Rumbles again. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (4)
Walli is feeding on grass with two calves by her side, a newborn and a 5 year old male. The selection starts with the older calf exhibiting Solicit-Suckling and begging with two Grumble-Rumbles and then a softer Grumble-Rumble. Just as he manages to Suckle, Walli moves forward, pushing her body into him in a Reject-Suck and he is thwarted.
Meanwhile her infant also Solicits-Suckling on her left side, but just as she begins Suckling (Double-Suckling), Walli moves forward. The infant runs forward between her legs and she uses front foot to try to guide her back to the safer side. The infant gives a low-intensity Husky-Cry. Walli again walks forward blocking the five year old male and he complains. Then she Reject-Suck-Kick - swinging her back leg out at him unsuccessfully. The male tries again (giving a Grumble-Rumble and Cry-Grumble-Rumble) and she stops and both suckle (Double-Suckle) - briefly because she then uses both front and hind leg to Reject-Suck-Kick and he gives a very complaining Roar-Grumble-Rumble.
She walks on and the 5 year male runs around the back and tries to access form the other side. The newborn sees that male coming and gives two Husky-Cries in quick succession that are beginning to sound like Grumble-Rumbles and Runs-Away. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (5)
A family of elephants is on the move and we can hear the sounds of livestock in the background, which may make the adults more anxious to keep going. Two calves are trying to Suckle. A circle marks the one in the rear of the group who is more difficult to spot. As its mother begins to walk this calf gives an open-mouthed Grumble-Rumble in complaint. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (6)
Selengei's 6 year male calf walks along side of her in a Solicit-Suckling posture and gives a Begging-Rumble. She stops and adopts a Suckling-Stance and he Suckles. He decides to try his luck on the other side. On his way around behind her he stops to pinch her genitals - as if to let her know he wants more. He has learned a lot of tricks by this age!
After his pinch he gives a Begging-Rumble and Suckles while she browses. Then she begins to walk and he again walks along side of her in a Solicit-Suckling posture, his trunk outstretched, and gives another Begging-Rumble. She continues to walk and he gives a third Begging-Rumble. She stops and adopts a Suckling-Stance and he Suckles. We can hear Maasai livestock in the background and she is eager to move on. She interrupts his Suckling and he gives a Grumble-Rumble in a more complaining tone. She continues to walk.
In this series of calls we can hear the subtle shift from polite Begging-Rumble to more complaining Grumble-Rumble - it is not easy to draw a clear line between the two. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (7)
Selengei's 6 year male has been Suckling on both sides very persistently. When Selengei finally loses patience and begins to walk he gives a Grumble-Rumble. The audio is poor. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Calf Nourishment & Weaning (8)
This is part of a Greeting-Ceremony between Abra and Angelina and others. Abra and her 3 year old calf have come Swimming from the other side of the swamp to meet or to Help Angelina who has just been through an ordeal during which a medium sized male attacked one of her twins in the deep swamp.
Abra arrives and immediately a Greeting-Ceremony takes place. But her calf is very eager to Suckle and seems to complain at the disturbance. She is touched several times by her sister, Allura, who has been with Angelina. While these calls sound as if she is complaining, it may be that she is joining in the Greeting-Ceremony and that these are just small calf Oral (Open-Mouthed) Rumbles that are typical of Greeting-Rumbles. (Amboseli, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (1)
Matriarch Gina is at the salt lick with her family. A young male is also there - two elephants over from her. We can’t see that he is being bothersome, but she sees him off and he Retreats-From her. While Gina is away an adult female Pushes Gina's male calf away so that she can dig where Gina was. He gives an open-mouthed Grumble-Rumble in protest and follows after Gina. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (2)
Little E is 3 days old and his family is browsing. Grumpy Grandma seems grumpy as usual. Allomother adolescent female Lorato is browsing and apparently in the way and Grumpy Grandma Head-Swipes and Tusks her away. Lorato Orients-Away raises her head and ears, opens her mouth and lets out an open-mouthed Grumble-Rumble in protest. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (3)
Three calves have been playing, especially an 18 month old male (left) and a 4 year old female right. An 18 month old female is behind inspecting a tree. The 4 year old pauses in her game with the male to Push and Tusk the little female and she complains with a Grumble-Rumble. The 4 year old persists bothering the littler female and she protests with a Roar. The older female goes back to her game with the male. The male (left) sucks on the the tusk of the 4 year old female (right). The 4 year old purposefully grabs the trunk of the little male and bites it and holds it in her mouth (Bite-Trunk). After some time he emits a Grumble-Rumble in protest. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (4)
Big mama's family is slowly Moving-While-Feeding. There is a commotion in the back of the group where an 18 month old male is Mounting another male the wrong way around! He has Mounted his head, clasping both ears in his forelegs. The mounted calf appears to give a Grumble-Rumble in protest.
There is an alternative explanation for this call - behind Big Mama we see a 4 year old female calf. At the moment of the call we see a trunk reach out to touch her and both Big Mama and her adolescent daughter in the foreground Look-Back with Ear-Lifting. It is equally possible that this is an As-Touched-Rumble by the calf. The two calls are similar in quality and the wind is too strong to differentiate. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (5)
Nalakite is carrying and eating a branch. Her two sons aged 6 and 10 are walking beside her Soliciting-Food, the older male Social-Rubbing against her and reaching toward her mouth. She drops a bit of stick in an act of Food-Sharing. Neither male notices until later and they both reach into her mouth to Solicit-Food. She pulls away and Grumble-Rumbles at them in a complaining tone. She purposefully removes another bit of the stick and drops it on the ground, in another act of Food-Sharing, this time for the 10 year old, who again Social-Rubs against her and picks up the stick she has dropped and eats it.
Meanwhile, the 6 year old male has realized that she had dropped a stick, but he can't reach it with her legs in the way (and it has already been taken by his brother). She continues to walk forward and he emits a Grumble-Rumble. The six year old still searches the ground blocking his mother's way and then, in frustration, jabs her with his tusk - the Tusking causing her leg to buckle! She Redirects-Aggression swinging her trunk toward the 10 year old, who, anticipating trouble, emits a Grumble-Rumble. Mum continues to walk and when the 6 year old is behind her, she uses a back leg to Kick-Back. He Grumble-Rumbles and comes around behind her to the other side. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
Grumble-Rumble
Context: Protest & Distress (6)
In the first circle in this clip we see a calf running alongside his mother with trunk outstretched Begging for her to stop so he can Suckle. She keeps moving. The second circle highlights the calf giving a Grumble-Rumble as she stops to let him Suckle briefly. A female in the foreground Rumbles to him. Perhaps a Coo-Rumble. (Amboseli, Kenya)
An older male pushes a 10-year-old male and he protests with a Grumble-Rumble. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Orphans are out for a walk with their keepers. Malaika has gotten into a habit of being fed by tourists. She tries to head in the direction of the road, but her keepers block her path and speak to her in a stern voice. Malaika emits a long Grumble-Rumble as her keeper prevents her from going where she wants; note characteristic undulating pattern. (Tsavo, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Among the orphans in the night stockade. Malaika is bothering Lewa, constantly touching him. Some of the Rumbles Lewa makes in a series of calls sound like a calf's normal response to being touched, while a more complaining tone in others indicate that he is fed up. (Tsavo, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Among the orphans. Malaika is trying to herd Lewa and he does not want to be herded. He emits a Grumble-Rumble with its complaining tone. (Tsavo, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
The orphans are in their night stockade and Imenti keeps trying to suck on Emily's ear. She doesn't like it and emits a long Grumble-Rumble. Note undulating frequencies. (Tsavo, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Feeding time with the orphans is frenzied with hungry calves all begging for access to bottles of milk and coconut cakes. Malaika was the eldest of the orphans and was, therefore, the lowest priority. As she Rumbled for coconut cakes, her frustration and annoyance at being overlooked can be heard in the tone of her calling. Her call is overlaid with the sounds of other elephants. (Tsavo, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Feeding time with the orphans is frenzied with hungry calves all begging for access to bottles of milk and coconut cakes. Malaika was the eldest of the orphans and was, therefore, the lowest priority. As she Rumbled for coconut cakes, her frustration and annoyance at being overlooked can be heard in the tone of her calling. (Tsavo, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Among the orphans in their night stockade. Lewa complains with a Grumble-Rumble because, as the keeper says; 'Malaika anashikashika yeye'. (Malaika keeps trying to fondle him) and he doesn't like it. (Tsavo, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
A short complaining sounding Rumble is heard in the scuffle surrounding the newborn as a young male tries to mount the new mother, Ella. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
A short complaining sounding Rumble is heard in the scuffle surrounding a newborn as a young male tries to mount the new mother, Ella. A Nasal-Trumpet overlaps with this Rumble. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
Edwina is eating heart of palm; her calf, Elaine, tries to get some from her, but Edwina pulls away. Elaine Head-Shakes in annoyance and gives this complaining sounding Grumble-Rumble. (Amboseli, Kenya)
If you want to look at a spectrogram of this recording, .
