Spinning or pivoting around, so as to turn rapidly toward and away from others. Pirouetting may be displayed by highly aroused individuals during exuberant Social Play or between adult and adolescent females during intense Affiliative or Coalition Building events or other Bonding behavior (such as Greeting-Ceremonies), when relatives come together in a close cluster Head-Raising, Ear-Lifting and Rapid-Ear-Flapping, vocalizing, Urinating and Defecating.

Pirouetting is likely an extreme form of Reach-Touch where elephants may turn rapidly to reach out to with their trunks to closely bonded companions.

References: Poole 1982: 37; Moss 1988; Poole 1996; Payne 2003; Poole & Granli 2003; Poole & Granli 2004; Poole & Granli 2011 [Spinning, Pirouette-Run]. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Affiliative, Birth, Social Play


Context: Social Play (1)

An adolescent male is pretending to be tough. He approaches the filmmakers Foot-Scuffing and making extra noise by walking over vegetation. As he gets very close he Pirouettes and then faces them Eyes-Wide and gives a Head-Dip. He Looks-At the filmmakers and Head-Dips and then walks away making more noise in the vegetation. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)


Context: Social Play (2)

An adolescent male Floppy-Runs at the car he lowers his head adopting a floppy-bodied Bow-Neck-Charge position and shakes his head from side to side displaying Head-Waggling. As he runs he Tail-Raises in excitement and as he stops he Kick-Dust. He Pirouettes and departs swinging his back legs out as if to kick vegetation, but misses. Then he Floppy-Runs off in another direction. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)