Baby Elephant Plays Follow-My-Leader
This sequence of photos was taken in South Africa's Kruger National Park. We were watching a herd of elephants, including two
youngsters.
The one was keen to play but the other appeared reluctant and walked off. The other immediately followed right behind and, like a mischievous child,
began copying the movements of the one in front.
Cambridge Dictionaries Online defines "follow-my-leader" as:
a children's game in which one child is followed by a line of other children, who have to copy everything the first child does.
This interaction between the two baby elephants looked exactly like such a game. It was surely more than coincidence that
the actions of the following elephant appeared so closely to mimic the leader!
![Baby elephants at play](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0210.jpg)
Two baby elephants, one keen to play, the other apparently less so
![Baby elephant follows one in front](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0212.jpg)
The reluctant one moves away, followed closely by the other youngster
![Baby elephant gets in step with leader](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0213.jpg)
Who then moves in right behind and gets into step with the leader
![Baby elephant mimics leader](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0214.jpg)
And starts to mimic the actions of the leader
![Baby elephants moving in co-ordination](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0215.jpg)
Feet, ears, and trunks now all co-ordinated
![Juvenile elephants acting like kids](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0216.jpg)
The leader pauses, as if about to move left ....
![baby elephant pair walking in line](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0217.jpg)
Then presses on ahead, with the follower quickly back in position, close behind
![juvenile elephant pair](https://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/baby-elephants_knp-0218.jpg)
The leader has had enough and veers off abruptly to join the rest of the herd. End of game!
Camera: Canon EOS 400D with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS telephoto zoom lens; Aperture: f/5.6; Shutter speed: 1/800 - 1/1000; ISO: 400.
© Scotch Macaskill, www.wildlife-pictures-online.com
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