Asian Elephant Meet Up: Introductions Between Two Social Groups

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Asian Elephant Meet Up: Introductions Between Two Social Groups

On June 26, the National Zoo's newest Asian elephants Kamala, Maharani and Swarna had their first "meet up" with elephants Bozie, Shanthi and Ambika. The first meeting of these two social groups went exactly as anticipated. The elephants exhibited behaviors that reflect the heightened excitement expected with such an encounter such as ear flapping and balling up of a trunk. Bozie and Kamala exhibited behaviors associated with two elephants testing each other and jockeying for position. They pushed and tussled a little bit, and opened their mouths a few times. Our keepers were encouraged by the expected behaviors they saw today and will continue with gradual introductions. We'll keep you posted on how the girls are getting to know each other!

1 min 26 sec

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