Elephant mothers form strong emotional bonds with calves

New Straits Times

12-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: An elephant mother carries her calf for 22 months, and this lengthy gestation period creates a strong bond between the two, said Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim.
He said a female elephant's pregnancy, the longest among land animals, highlights the significance of the mother's role in raising her calf.
Kadir said the psychological bond between a mother elephant and her calf begins during pregnancy and continues through nursing and the calf's early life.
"As mammals, there is both an emotional and physical bond between a mother elephant and her calf.
"This relationship goes beyond the physical, it is deeply psychological," he said.
He was commenting on a heartbreaking incident in which a female elephant refused to leave the body of her calf, which was killed by a trailer on the Jalan Gerik–Jeli in Perak early yesterday.
Kadir said elephants, particularly the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and African elephant (Loxodonta africana), have complex and affectionate social structures.
On average, a calf nurses from its mother for two to four years. However, in some cases, this may extend up to five years.
From an animal psychology perspective, Kadir said the calf not only learns to walk and forage from its mother but also develops an understanding of emotions such as empathy, affection, and grief.
"Studies show that elephants can remember individuals and exhibit deep sadness when they lose a family member.
"The loss of a mother or calf is a major trauma for the elephant family.
" In cases of poaching, orphaned calves often show signs of depression, loss of appetite, and difficulty adapting to new groups. Similar symptoms are seen in mother elephants who lose their calves," he added.