Behavior of the Sumatran Elephant Behavior of the Sumatran Elephant Our friends in Sumatra, Chris, Patrick and Brad, are on the elephant with the guide. By Leann MacDonald and Brad Sivacoe Sumatran elephants are very social animals. They use infrasonic sounds to communicate with each other. Sumatran elephants roam around the jungle pushing over trees. As they walk they use their roaring and infrasonic sounds to communicate.
Elephants are very protective of their young.
When they are being attacked by predators, the older elephants surround their young in the middle of a circle with the bulls on the outside. All of the females are protective of the young. These social pachyderms travel in large groups. The elephants' strangest behavior involves actions toward their dead. When an elephant dies the others come around, sniffing and moving the bones.