I know this is a very touching picture, but this is very, very unusual for elephants to be sleeping like this on the ground. These guys have been trekking through China going somewhere, no one really knows. But these guys are utterly exhausted. They are showing every sign of stress and fear as they move. They keep together in a close pack near towns and around people, but they are going where they are going anyway. The Chinese seem to be keeping a good eye on them, and they should be ok, but this ain't right.
Headline writers love to claim that scientists are baffled, flummoxed, perplexed, puzzled, etc. Once you get used to recognizing it it becomes incredibly tiresome.
The scientists studying these elephants have a pretty reasonable hypothesis for what they’re doing: they’re under habitat stress. This explains why they’re taking a long journey. They’re looking for a new place to live that’s away from danger and where food is plentiful.
That’s going to be difficult to find in China because even the lower population areas have loads of towns and other settlements sparsely scattered across the land. Only the truly inhospitable areas (deserts and mountains) show a major lack of settlement in China.
19 Comments
dotslashme@infosec.pub · 52 pts · 303d
This will undoubtedly be the most wholesome thing I see today. Thanks for posting!
scholar@lemmy.world · 34 pts · 303d
They all have contact with at least one other elephant (and the little one is snuggling)
otter@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 303d
Maybe the little one fell asleep while nursing
DaMonsterKnees@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 303d
Makes my heart go pitter patter, thumpity thump. :)
killingspark@feddit.org · 6 pts · 303d
You might wanna see a doctor about that
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 303d
Poot@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 303d
I know this is a very touching picture, but this is very, very unusual for elephants to be sleeping like this on the ground. These guys have been trekking through China going somewhere, no one really knows. But these guys are utterly exhausted. They are showing every sign of stress and fear as they move. They keep together in a close pack near towns and around people, but they are going where they are going anyway. The Chinese seem to be keeping a good eye on them, and they should be ok, but this ain't right.
Link to bbc article
chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 302d
Headline writers love to claim that scientists are baffled, flummoxed, perplexed, puzzled, etc. Once you get used to recognizing it it becomes incredibly tiresome.
The scientists studying these elephants have a pretty reasonable hypothesis for what they’re doing: they’re under habitat stress. This explains why they’re taking a long journey. They’re looking for a new place to live that’s away from danger and where food is plentiful.
That’s going to be difficult to find in China because even the lower population areas have loads of towns and other settlements sparsely scattered across the land. Only the truly inhospitable areas (deserts and mountains) show a major lack of settlement in China.
cosmicrookie@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 303d
Wow! Must have been a huge drone to capture not one but so many elephants in one go!
I bet it couldn't have done it if they were awake though
snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 303d
I totally agree that a drone could never capture them all sleeping together if they were awake.
atomicorange@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 303d
It’s a whole drawer full of spoons!
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 303d
Alt link? I can’t see the image. Please and thank you.
otter@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 303d
How is this:
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 303d
Thank you!
tostiman@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 303d
Here you go
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 303d
Lol.
jeena@piefed.jeena.net · 4 pts · 303d
Oh, I wonder why you can't see it, it's uploaded to my instance.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 303d
I was in France if it makes a diff. I’m back in the US and can see it now. Thanks.
nonentity@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 299d
Pachygaea.