There was a time when we were little that we all had to learn to walk! As babies, we didn’t “pop” out and start running around the hospital room. In fact, human babies are extremely vulnerable when we are born at it takes quite some time for us to gain our independence.
For certain animals, however, learning to walk isn’t something they can put off until they feel ready!
Humans start to try and walk as they near a year of life.
Your baby’s first steps could come as early as 8 months, or as late as halfway through their second year of life. But you’ll have plenty of warning when it’s coming, because your baby will have been cruising and trying to balance for a while. – Healthline
We all go at our own pace, but it takes a minimum of a few months before we even attempt the process! Pushing up, crawling, and standing all need to happen before we ever try and take our first steps.
One video shows how elephants take their first steps and it’s pretty incredible.
The video depicts a newborn elephant and his mom working together! Like we mentioned before, a human takes up to a year to start trying their first steps. On the other side of things, elephants hit the ground after being born (a solid three-foot fall) and are immediately required by their mom to walk!
Labor lasts several days. The elephant slowly expels the amniotic sac, which contains the calf, and may burst during labor. If it does not break, it cushions the calf’s fall of 2 to three feet to the ground and bursts upon impact. – Sciencing
Imaging falling three feet as a baby, waking up, and being told to walk!
We can see it clearly in the video. Momma elephant uses her trunk to support the little baby and encourages him to stand. As he stands, he shivers and trembles since this is literally the first time he has ever used his muscles! Lifting his own weight (165 lbs) for the very first time seems like tough work!
While it may seem crazy that the moms force their babies to walk so early, it’s necessary.
Elephants don’t have the luxury of sitting in a hospital room while giving birth! They are in a field and you never know when a hungry lion could be lurking around. Learning to walk that early gives them a survival advantage that is super helpful for them!
Elephants are very encouraging.
A baby needs lots of encouragement to walk! As it turns out, so do elephant calves!
Mothers, aunts, sisters, and the matriarch are very important to calf development. The pace of the herd is adjusted, so the young can keep up. Calves learn which plants are edible and ways to acquire them, by watching their elders. Mothers and aunts are in almost constant affectionate contact with the young, offering guidance and assistance. – Sea World
Make sure you check out the cute video below!
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