Elephants at Kapama Private Game Reserve in South Africa
© Simon Eeman/Getty Image
Trunks stick together
In honor of Cousins Day, we're looking at a pair of African elephants who seem to have nothing but love for each other. Elephants are matriarchal, meaning they live in female-led groups. The matriarch—usually the biggest and oldest female—leads an extended family group that includes aunts, sisters, and their young, so a given herd is likely to be full of cousins.
Cousins Day is about celebrating the family bonds between first cousins and even distant ones. You probably know that your first cousins are the children of your aunts and uncles, but what about their kids? They're not your second cousins—they're your first cousins once removed (one generation removed). Your children and the children of your first cousins are second cousins. Got it?
Related Images
Desert elephant with calf feeding on tall grass, Namibia
Male white rhinoceroses, Lake Nakuru, Kenya
African elephants in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya
African elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya
A family of African elephants in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Southern white rhinoceros males, Shamwari Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Elephant family in Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Sumatran rhinoceros female eating leaves, Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia
Bing Today Images
