Last Updated:November 28, 2024, 2:17 PM IST

IFS officer Parveen Kaswan claimed that it is not a ‘dancing elephant’ but the animal is actually stressed.

Often perceived as majestic and powerful creatures, elephants also exhibit a playful side. These gentle giants, despite their enormous size, are seen swaying their trunks or moving their bodies in time with music. The internet is full of such videos that capture elephants seemingly dancing and have captivated the hearts of millions. Joining the bandwagon is another video that showed an elephant swaying behind two women performing Bharatanatyam.

The clip left millions of viewers delighted. But an Indian Forest Service officer claimed that this is not a ‘dancing elephant’ but the animal is actually stressed.

Shot amid a picturesque backdrop, the clip in question showed two women performing Bharatanatyam in the open. It was this moment when the elephant, tied to a pole behind them, apparently joined in and began swaying from side to side as the women danced.

Shared on X, the 15-second-long video comes with an overlay text, “Two girls are performing Bharatanatyam when suddenly an elephant joins in, matching their moves and vibing along gracefully.”

In response to the clip, IFS officer Parveen Kaswan pointed out that the elephant is stressed and not dancing in joy as people would like to believe. He penned, “That elephant is stressed. It is not a sign of dancing but stress.”

Giving an example of the same, the Indian Forest Service officer shared a video he shot a few months back. He wrote, “We need not to humanise animals. They have their own way of living and expression.”

With more than 33,700 views and counting, the video has quickly garnered the attention of users online. This unexpected revelation sparked discussion and wonder among social media users. The internet community chimed into the comments section to share their views.

“Thank you for sharing and educating me. It goes a long way in helping us all learn,” expressed a user.

Another added, “Completely agree with you, sir. But this shows a lack of knowledge among people about domestication of animals. Be it even a small cat or dog, they too have their own way of living. It’s sad to see that people don’t understand/care about this fact.”

“He can be dancing as well, and seems to be playful with children. Any scientific documents stating this activity denotes stress?” questioned an individual.

According to Global Sanctuary for Elephants, elephants engage in stereotypic, repetitive, compulsive actions like swaying, rocking, pacing, rubbing and other behaviours that are self-stimulating and a symptom of ‘boredom’ in most species in order to compensate for low-level stimulation.