Roy

Born in 1989 to the family matriarch Remedios, Roy was a member of the so-called RA family. They were first sighted and photographed in 1973 by Cynthia Moss, a pioneering elephant researcher working along Amboseli Trust For Elephants.

Having survived a few terrible droughts during his time with RA family and raised up by aunts and sisters, like all male elephants, after pubescent years spent in the female-dominated world, Roy broke out and began spending time with other male elephants.

While males may not form the same kinds of close-knit friendships as female-led groups, research has proven that male aggregations are far from random. The older males mentor the youngsters and guide them through the adult world. The RAs have produced many successful male calves who have grown up and become independent. Roy along with others is roaming out in the world of the big bulls; and some  of the older ones have been seen regularly in musth and mating with females.

Photo credit and text: Cynthia Moss, Amboseli Trust For Elephants, Kenya Wildlife Service