There is no doubt that getting kicked in the head hurts. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be karate kicked by an elephant? Let’s assume you haven’t, and that this is not something you want to experience.
A video with more than 17 million views shows an interesting interaction between an elephant and a buffalo. Sabi Sabi, where these two creatures live, has welcomed visitors from around the world since 1979, drawn by the promise of a once-in-a-lifetime safari adventure.
Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, located in the Sabie Game Reserve in the southwest of the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa, is a wildlife haven where you can witness incredible natural interactions between prey and predators up close.
A group of tourists is watching herds of elephants and buffalo grazing in the fields. It seemed that one of the bison began to stare at an elephant, almost challenging him. Male buffalo can weigh up to 1,600 pounds, while female buffalo can weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
The big elephant couldn’t bear it at all, and started pacing back and forth, waving its nose at the buffalo. You can hear the photographer say, “There’s nothing like seeing wildlife interact like this.” We couldn’t agree more!
The two beasts continued to stare at each other. During this time, visitors determined that the elephant was most likely just a teenager. Male elephants begin to separate from the matrilineal herd at puberty. He would then join the group of men commonly known as The Bachelor.
This usually happens when a person reaches adulthood, around age 13. Males are more likely than females to create longer-distance herds. Just when you thought the interaction between the two animals was coming to an end, the elephants surprise you!
Instead of approaching the main buffalo it had been interacting with, the large elephant nonchalantly walked up to one resting in the grass and kicked it in the head. Seconds later, the once-relaxed buffalo stood up and rushed towards the gigantic creature. You just have to see it for yourself!
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
