Bhunte was strolling alongside his sister, Sanu, when a sharp thorn pricked her. “Ouch!” she cried out. Instantly, Bhunte moved his trunk gently around her head to reassure her that she was okay. Sanu nodded, confirming that she was indeed fine. At that moment, Bhunte shared a thought about how they, too, experience pain. “Sanu, you know that one* of the humans who studied us? She* roamed the forest collecting our night-soil and observing us from behind bushes or sometimes from her vehicle. She* thought I didn’t notice her, but I did, on several occasions. I just pretended to be oblivious. There was a time she* went to observe elephants in captivity, where the veterinarian was drawing blood from Ms. Zuze, my distant aunt. When the doctor pricked Zuze’s ear, Zuze squeezed her eyes shut, just like you did, Sanu when that thorn pricked you. That human* took notes in her diary, pondering, ‘Elephants express feelings'”.  Sanu rubbed her skin thoughtfully, absorbing Bhunte’s words. She was thinking, “Of course we feel pain; what’s there to think about?” They continued their walk and crossed a small brook, finally reaching their mother, who was peacefully grazing. 

Note:  This story is inspired by my own observation of how Zuze, an adult female Asian elephant, squeezed one of her eyes when the needle pricked her ear while a vet doctor was collecting blood for a regular health check-up, similar to how we react when a needle pricks us during a blood test at the doctor’s office. I found this expression in Zuze worth noticing and noting. Paying attention to these subtle behaviours is key to understanding elephants as individuals and their responses to any stimulus. I hope this story encourages you to notice the little things when you come across Bhunte and his relatives next time. Keep observing! 

*Referring to myself 🙂 Read my research on elephants’ stress.

Explore more about the way elephants experience pain.