Exclusive Video – Penelope (#2)
Thank you for adopting one of the elephant families from Dzanga Bai!
The following are exclusive videos of Penelope and her family, recorded by Andrea Turkalo at Dzanga.
(There is sound, of course, so best viewed with your headphones on.)
Enjoy!
The start of this video introduces the Penelope family in 2000, soon after Penny was born. This is Penelope II’s first calf and from the start Penny has an independent streak that gets her into trouble.
The camera starts in close on Penny, with her mom, Penelope II behind and a young aunt. As the camera zooms out, we see another aunt, and the matriarch, Penelope, moving in from the right.
Now the action: Penny wanders off to a pool where unrelated Gonya V is drinking with her calf. Gonya V rumbles and pushes Penny down, and Penny screams out in fear more than because she is hurt. At first Gonya’s family comes in from the left, followed by Penelope II and the rest of the Penelope family, coming to the rescue. As everything slowly settles down, the Penelope group huddles for mutual comfort, everybody rumbling, touching and pressing against one another.
Penny is sleeping on her little feet near mom, Penelope II. Keep in mind that Penny is Penelope II’s first calf and Penelope II seems to be particularly challenged by motherhood.
Circe, dominant to Penelope II, comes over and displaces her, leaving Penny still sort of asleep next to Circe. Circe gently shoves Penny a little aside, smells her, and shoves her again. But Circe is not nearly as considerate and gentle as mom would be and constantly bumps Penny around. You can see Penelope II getting concerned in the background, but unwilling to approach Circe.
When Circe gets a little more aggressive with her trunk, Penny screams (at 1:59) and immediately you can hear Penelope II rumble. This brings the family matriarch, Penelope, over with the rest of the family. Circe is not up to contesting this group and moves away, but surprisingly Penny begins to follow. There is another rumble and Penny hangs back with her mother. The whole family huddles around the calf.