'Super moms': Elephant herd forms timely circle to protect calf from lion, video goes viral

The elephants are expressive creatures well known for their extended empathy and co-operation towards humankind and their babies alike. In a similar vein, a viral video depicting a mighty elephant herd executing a quick-witted action is winning the internet. The clip was shared on Twitter by Susanta Nanda, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer. It shows an elephant herd forming a circle around the calves or baby elephants, soon after spotting a lion. The wild meandered around on a killing spree. The officer described the scene and captioned the post: “In the wild, no animal does it better than an elephant herd.” Check out the post:

On seeing the lion, elephants form a circle around the young calves for protecting the young baby. In wild,no animal does it better than elephant herd. pic.twitter.com/husiclWSQx

— Susanta Nanda IFS (Retd) (@susantananda3) July 12, 2023

The post garnered over 2.7 lakh views. Twitter users praised the large land mammals widely known to symbolise unity and power. Check out some of the responses below: One user commended the animal’s natural instincts. They wrote: “Absolutely amazing - each elephant knew what to do. The little ones came to the centre while the more substantial ones formed a circle!” “In praising elephants securing their calves, you belittling other animals. Each and every animal species tries to do all it can, in its own way, to protect its young ones including sacrificing itself. All animals instinctively protect their babies,” wrote another. A third user described them as ‘super moms,’ adding: “Elephants have immense intellect capacity and instant decision-making abilities. Their protective instincts are huge.” “My heart got the necessary dose of compassion after seeing the video. So cute,” said a fourth. Mammalian are highly intelligent and gentle creatures, often depicted in Indian art and literature as symbols of wisdom and understanding. In addition, they are also presented as a symbol of strength and resilience along with being acknowledged for their ability to work together as a team. At the Oscars recently, the documentary by Guneet Monga and Kartiki Gonsalves, The Elephant Whisperers, won the award for Best Documentary Short, becoming the first Indian-produced film to win an Academy Award. Set in Mudumalai National Park, it follows Bomman and Bellie, a South Indian couple who take on the daunting task of caring for an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu. The documentary is streaming on Netflix.