PART 1 – The scene

One day in March 2006, we were returning to camp from a game drive around midday when we came across a herd of elephants bathing and playing in some mud pools (created by the casual water from the recent good rains), in the very green, not usually lush mopane veld at Tuli Wilderness Trails in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana.

As we got closer to the mud pool, the herd dispersed and 5 elephants (a family group?) moved towards an area of dry sand/soil. The biggest elephant – female (mother) began scraping the ground and then tossing clouds of dust over herself – a dust bath.

While photographing the clouding-action, I noticed that one of the other elephants (sister maybe or daughter) lower her trunk and then go down on her front knees and then seemed to “kiss” the ground. Very bizarre, I thought. I carried on taking photographs when the second, younger elephant repeated the older female elephant’s behaviour. I continued shooting the group, noticing that the calf was rubbing itself up against this second younger elephant. When the young calf then copied the other two elephants’ “earth kissing” behaviour, I started giggling! A fellow visitor commented “…another dysfunctional elephant family!”

All of the time while the biggest female continued her dust bath and the fifth elephant was rubbing itself up against the biggest female’s rear end, rubbing the mud/parasites off of itself.

The whole scene was a delightful picture of general mutual dusting, rubbing pleasure of the small group. At this point the herd began regrouping and moved off.

Another thoroughly enjoyable Tuli elephant sighting and an appropriate display of the “tuli” or dust!

PART 2 – The study

On downloading my photos to my laptop later that evening and looking more closely at the photographs, we initially thought that maybe the elephants were scratching their mouths. On even closer inspection, I noticed that the first elephant “kissing the ground/scratching its mouth” appears to be sticking its tongue on to the ground and this in turn lead me to question the possibility of eating the soil, possibly for certain nutrients.

Craig Beaton then suggested that the elephants might be after salt as the elephants in the area also regularly try to get into the water tanks at Mohave Bush Camp which has particularly salty water at this time of year. He has had to design a protective ring around the water tanks to prevent the elephants from damaging the water tanks.

PART 3 – The theory

In his book “Beat About The Bush”, Trevor Carnaby describes geophagia as literally meaning ‘earth eating’. He describes this phenomenon is displayed by a number of animals, particularly in the dry season. It is a way of getting trace elements (lacking in their diet) from the soil. In some areas where the soil is rich in these elements and salts, large barren open patches or “salt licks” develop where animals congregate during times of nutritional stress. Here they gouge into the earth with the feet, horns, tusks, loosening the soil, which is then consumed. Eating soil contributes nutrients to the diet that are lacking in vegetation. Elephants probably scent these locations and effectively loosen the soil with the nails of the forefeet.

PART 4 – The conclusion

Members of this little family group were displaying geophagic behaviour whilst having their daily mud/dust bath.