Why do elephants do this?

Question

when i was at the zoo, i saw an elephant slowly shake his head back and forth. why?

Answer 1

animals do this (common in captive animals),

this is because the animal has no stimulation, no enrichment, not enough space

the animal is basicly bored

head shaking is just one of the repetitive behaviours that bored animals exhibit

animals may pace up and down the enclosure, run around the encolsure folowing the same path constantly, they may harm themselves by banging into the sides of the cages or even chew on their own legs

take a look at this foxes leg

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/images/in...

Answer 2

I have also heard of animals doing many things in constant repetition when they are confined.  I think this also occurs with humans.

Answer 3

I've read that intelligent animals too closely confined with too little stimulation develop a condition something like human autism, with the self-soothing behaviors of rocking, pacing, trunk-flapping.  I don't know if this is true -- autism is a complex physical and psychological condition, and so is animal despondency.  

Elephant in the wild don't do this repetitively, all day long, the way zoo animals do.  

Answer 4

http://www.elephant.se/ Possibly he was considering the human condition.