Elephant
LIFE
The white birds often seen with elephants in the Ngorongoro Crater are cattle egrets, which have a symbiotic relationship with the elephants. The birds benefit by eating insects and parasites off the elephant's skin, and the elephants benefit from getting cleaned and the birds' warnings about potential threats. The birds are also attracted to the insects that are stirred up from the ground by the elephants' movements.
Artist description
The white birds often seen with elephants in the Ngorongoro Crater are cattle egrets, which have a symbiotic relationship with the elephants. The birds benefit by eating insects and parasites off the elephant's skin, and the elephants benefit from getting cleaned and the birds' warnings about potential threats. The birds are also attracted to the insects that are stirred up from the ground by the elephants' movements.