In Amboseli National Park , Kenya, a heartwarming scene unfolded as a one-year-old African elephant mimicked its mother, scratching its back on a termite mound.
The mother, a 30-year-old elephant, had settled down for a scratch on the mound when her curious calf followed suit, rolling onto its side and attempting the same maneuver.
Teacher and wildlife photographer Jeff Sink witnessed the playful interaction while leading a safari in Amboseli
Reflecting on the sight, Sink, from Chino Hills, California, shared, “The mother had to coax her calf off the mound to finish her scratching. Amboseli’s herds are among the largest remaining in the world.”
Located near the border with Tanzania, Amboseli benefits from a year-round water source fed by the melting snows of Mount Kilimanjaro, creating a lush marsh that sustains the area’s elephant population despite the persistent threat of poaching.
At night, elephants retreat to the forests along the mountain, consuming up to 200 pounds of food, then join herds of up to 500 elephants daily in the marsh to drink and play.
Sink described how the elephants often gather around favored termite mounds to scratch their backs. “I’ve never seen elephants sit on a mound like these two. Watching this from just 30 feet away was amazing,” he recalled.
The experience showcases the fascinating behaviors of Amboseli’s elephants and the precious bond between mother and calf as they share both habits and habitats in this protected Kenyan wilderness.
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