Lonely Journey: The Struggle of a Baby Elephant Rejected by His Herd

This is the adorable moment a baby elephant throws a jumbo-sized temper tantrum, but in a classic example of old-fashioned parenting, the small pachyderm is ignored by its mother and father.

The herd of elephants are crossing a dirt track at an undisclosed location on the African savanna when the smallest member decides it does not wish to continue any further.

Instead of stopping, the adult elephants continue unfazed by the display of petulance.

This is the moment a baby elephant throws a jumbo-sized strop at an African safari park

The baby elephant expects some of the adults to stop and show it some attention

A number of elephants cross the dirt track without stopping which then prompts the baby to jump up and race after the herd as it does not wish to be left behind.

According to Daphne Sheldrick, of the Sheldrick Animal Trust, temper tantrums among elephants are quite common.

Writing on her blog, she said: ‘Of course, Elephants share with us humans many traits – the same span of life, (three score years and ten, all being well) and they develop at a parallel pace so that at any given age a baby elephant duplicates its human counterpart, reaching adulthood at the age of twenty.

‘Elephants also display many of the attributes of humans as well as some of the failings. They share with us a strong sense of family and death and they feel many of the same emotions.

‘Each one is, of course, like us, a unique individual with its own unique personality. They can be happy or sad, volatile or placid. They display envy, jealousy, throw tantrums and are fiercely competitive, and they can develop hang-ups which are reflected in behaviour.’

instead, the adults troop past without pausing, forcing the baby to change its strategy.

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