Part of a series of images documenting the complex social interactions of the African elephant when they gather to drink.

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The drinking behaviour of elephants provides charming insights into the family lives of the largest land mammal on the planet. Elephants choose to drink (and bathe) every day, although they can go several days without drinking. They use their immensely strong trunks as tools to drink with. They also use their trunk to communicate with other family members as part of a greeting ceremony where a lower ranking elephant inserts its trunk tip into the mouth of the other. This ritual enables elephants to come closer together amicably.

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Size: 5063px × 3375px
Location: Botswana, Africa
Photo credit: © Tim Plowden / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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