A study showed that orphaned elephants can overcome the loss of their mothers by becoming part of a herd, highlighting the significance of social life for elephants.

Researchers in the Samburu and Buffalo Springs reserves in northern Kenya analyzed the level of stress hormones in the excrement of 37 young elephants, between 2015 and 2016, to learn more about the effects of the loss of a mother on baby elephants.

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Only the feces of young females between the ages of two and 20 were utilized, with males being more difficult to follow due to their lack of attachment to their original herd.

25 of the baby elephants had experienced the loss of their mother between 1 and 19 years before due to poaching or drought. However, only 20 of the 25 orphans continued living with their mother's family when she passed away, while five joined an unrelated group.

According to Jenna Parker, the main author of the study published earlier this week in the Communications Biology journal, the stress among orphans did not last, showing “resilience” and the upshot of having a supportive surrounding from elephants that become part of the orphan’s core social life.

The researchers found that, among orphans and other elephants alike, stress hormones were at comparable levels in the long term despite the fact that the former were anticipated to have higher stress levels given the absence of maternal support.

Observing elephant herds made it clear how important familial ties were, Parker told AFP. Rarely do the young move more than 10 meters from their mother, and after a few hours of separation, the entire group would reunite in "amazing" ways, said Parker. 

She claimed that when poachers or hunters kill an elephant, that social cohesiveness breaks down and endangers the group's well-being, especially the young who are left orphaned. Even after weaning, it's thought that the relationship between a newborn elephant and its mother remains strong.

Young elephants raised in groups with more elephants their own age had reduced stress levels, suggesting that "playmates" are important to them. The findings may help orphanages decide which elephants should be paired with peers their own age. The study also came to the conclusion that releasing orphaned elephants in groups after they had formed bonds while in captivity would help them adjust to life in the wild.

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