Pnina Spinner was with her family when she witnessed the elephants’ amusing antics, which she says appeared almost choreographed.
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Their moves were so perfect that she quickly got her camera out and started to film.
Trio of large elephants cause a stir on game drive
Pnina and her family had been making their way back to camp on one of the main tar roads in the southern part of the park for a quick brunch when they came across a trio of elephants.
“It didn’t seem like much, and everyone was certain that the elephants would simply make their way deeper into the bush,” she recalls. “However, the family wasn’t in a rush, so they decided to stay and enjoy what they could see.”
To everyone’s surprise, the elephants came out into the open. Pnina believes it was the green trees on the opposite side of the road which drew them out of the thicket and onto the road.
“The trees on the other side of the road must have looked greener because that’s what initially drew them out.”
However, while they might have initially set out in search of foliage, they soon became distracted. Elephants have complex social interactions and have been known to goof around with one another on occasions.
However, Pnina was adamant that their fun and games looked choreographed.
A series of precision moves wows spectators
She had never seen elephants put on such a show. “They took turns stretching like domestic house cats and flapping their ears at one another in the most entertaining way!” she says. “Seeing such big, majestic animals become so clumsy and playful is incredibly amusing.”
She said the children in the backseat were especially entertained by the elephants’ antics, which were so perfect, they appeared to be a part of a circus routine.
The elephants continued to pose and flap their ears, and show off a more playful side to their characters.
Elephants are known for their remarkable intelligence and social nature, and their playfulness is a clear reflection of both.
Young elephants often engage in games with one another, such as mock charging, trunk wrestling, and splashing in water, which helps them develop important social and physical skills.
Even adult elephants have been observed playing, as in this incredible sighting. Often the will play in water, where they roll, swim, and spray each other for fun.
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Their playful behavior is not limited to interactions within the herd. Elephants are also known to play with objects like sticks, logs, or even tires when in captivity.
This sense of play highlights their emotional depth and the strong bonds they form with one another, showing that joy and curiosity are vital parts of their complex lives.
Show ends as elephants head off for lunch
However, hunger eventually got the better of the elephants and the fun didn’t last for too long. They soon remembered their original mission, which was to eat!
Off they went, to greener pastures, happily trotting away. They had performed a memorable act. Pnina calls it the ‘perfect ending to a fantastic sighting’.