ELEPHANT SEALS FIGHTING FOR MATES !

Male elephant seals have a simple breeding biology: they struggle to mate with as many females as possible. Their main mating tactic is to get control of a female harem, and mate multiple times with each harem female (which is called polygyny). That usually means fighting against other males.
In October 2022, during elephant seals peak of the breeding season at Sea Lion Island (Falkland Islands), male BAM decided to challenge DOZ, the harem holder of a big harem. DOZ was not very happy about this, he won the fight and kept control of his harem; after the fight he carried out various matings. This is something that males often do. If they take over a harem, or defeat a challenger, they mate with as many females as possible. In the case of challengers taking over a harem, this is probably related to sperm competition, i.e., they try to fertilize females that already copulated with the previous harem holder. In the case of harem holders keeping their harem, this can be a behavioral tactics to re-affirm the control over the harem females.
Disclaimer: this is a scientific research video, showing the actual behavior of wild animals in natural settings.

[@indorexyggdood5343]

1:57 that poor kid 💀 bro has to go through it all

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Well the pup probably resumed suckling 5 minutes later 😉

[@Jejemb88]

,,

[@FunFilmFare]

The babies look very cute

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

They are the cutest !!!

[@masterben4533]

It's funny how a serious topic that is NOT FUNNY one bit, can be humorous isn't it ? - Braunosaurus Ben

[@DragonNyah]

They do the deed with about as much enthusiasm as me getting up on a Monday

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

🤣

[@leneerodriguez7346]

lmao it looks more like he has the face of Finally reaching the bed after an exausting day of work xD

[@masterben4533]

You got to FIGHT... for your "RIGHT" TO PAAARTY 🎉

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

That's it !😮😅

[@masterben4533]

@@ElephantSealResearchGroup this whole thing is VERY UNBECOMING.

[@Alex-ie5jl]

The seals could fight for hours and neither would die. Its more so about intimidating the opponent into running away, and showing that you wont back down, rather than killing your opponent.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

deadly fights are extremely rare. In the case of elephant seals it is a lot more than intimidating (the intimidation/conventional part of the interaction is when they vocalize and use postures to show their size); if none of the opponent retreat after vocalizing one each other it is a real true fight, bites and strikes are incredibily serious: but elephant seals are built for that, so usually they don't get too badly injured.

[@Dawgissadog]

hours is a bit much

[@Alex-ie5jl]

@@Dawgissadog your name is a bit much

[@Dawgissadog]

@@Alex-ie5jl it’s really not. But good one. I correct you that sealions *can not* fight for “hours” so u act like a female and attack my name 💀

[@Dawgissadog]

u reported my comment?? U really do have a girl mentality 😂

[@MassanehMarong]

Ugly :99% Angry:85% Cute:0%

[@notcorrectlol]

MA BOY GETTIN RIGHT BACK 2 BUSINESS !

[@Ledinosour673]

just reminding everyone that these things can weight up to 4 metric tons an adult tiger usually weights 300 kg that thing could send a tiger to the grave by belly-flopping on it (if the tiger doesn't die from the impact, it would still asphixiate to death)

[@IamEscBoy]

i'm out of shape and i could walk away from him over land

[@giggles7179]

....And you thought the time _you_ walked in on _your_ parents when you were five was traumatic.

[@darkwingduke1631]

Itd be pretty traumatic if they were going at it and making those noises

[@ThePlantoparadise]

Sounds like me the day after eating half a pizza.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

😂😂😂

[@mapples007]

Youre probably lactose intolerant.

[@ThePlantoparadise]

@@mapples007 My farts are magnificent.

[@jpong122]

They had blood all over them like an axe murderer. Brutal.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Nature is brutal sometimes !

[@ChilledoutDevil]

Is there any dominance display in the natural world more brutal than the elephant seals? I cannot think of any off the top of my head, it's crazy...

[@frostedpearl1386]

Nobody else noticed the names written or engraved on their skin?

[@ClanToreador]

Was wondering that too

[@giggles7179]

That's not bad - the ones they put radio transmitters on to track movements get a small box super-glued to their heads.

[@alazymonkey5716]

@giggles7179 whaaaat? I haven't googled this as I am typing; best believe I will after. Do you have an understanding to the etchings on their skin? I mean fk'ing "BAM," come on....

[@sherryelder9511]

It turns out that dogs and seals are pretty closely related, and we know that dogs are about 85% similar to humans at the DNA level. So, a good guess is that humans and seals are likely in the same ballpark. This is more than the 80% we share with mice, but way less than the 98% we share with chimps.

[@Dr.Ian-Plect]

Dogs are quite close as you say. But, bears are closer to seals, closer still are raccoons, weasels, skunks and red pandas.

[@brenoribeiro4591]

00:32 bird could've died right there

[@MariaLuisaCrema-vz9ot]

Oh DOZ was upset !!! What a fight, the face at the end says it all !!!

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

It is true, their face at the end is always so expressive!!!

[@KS-dq2sx]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that seen this! That face was truly something!

[@jhariz7387]

Damn it! Toilet …

[@jayaputrabengkulu6642]

Wow one of the most strongest animal in the world

[@SeniorAdrian]

Can behaviors, like their breeding strategy, be changed by training other males to let the others mate in the same territory?

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Mmmmhhh, it is a weird question. Why should we do that ? Probably in a zoo setting you could do such things (but not easily, they have been selected to behave as elephant seals !), but the real question is...why ?

[@SeniorAdrian]

@@ElephantSealResearchGroup to see if the behavior can be changed? Just like us when we imitate what others are doing?

[@Twilightwolf34820]

I would say no because of natural instincts to drive out other males. They do that so they can continue their bloodline but the other males can't

[@KS-dq2sx]

Look up the Berlin Zoo Elephant Seal. He was trained from being a pup, like an ordinary seal, back before WWII. Rather not try to keep one away from a female, having them around each-other in human company could be very dangerous. The females, usually pregnant with a pup and not wanting to be taken advantage of by young males seek out a harem where a large bull will keep them away. Otherwise, they would all be after her and this would be harmful, at least with a harem, there is only one bull. That's what I've gathered, reading articles and watching them for a couple of years.

[@stowlicters8362]

​@@SeniorAdriansocial engineering is gross and anti nature

[@KS-dq2sx]

Bam, hahaha.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Ah ah ah 🤣

[@GetSnitchedOnBitch]

Wtf is the deal with the bam lmfao??

[@Jejemb88]

aaa

[@javierrivero5890]

Wheare is this place? It is Malvinas?

[@user-kp3js1rx3n]

Ohhh..en celo,

[@hmao4466]

Where is this?

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Sea Lion Island in the Falkland Islands ! A very special and beautiful place !!!

[@Jejemb88]

@@ElephantSealResearchGroup ahh

[@marinasanvito6536]

La tizia non mi sembra molto soddisfatta😅

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

No infatti, non molto colpita dalla performance 🤣🤣🤣

[@MariaLuisaCrema-vz9ot]

No per niente :-)

[@Jejemb88]

@@MariaLuisaCrema-vz9ot aa

[@salmiakki5638]

​@@ElephantSealResearchGroupsembrava un nome italiano, mi ero chiesto se fosse così :) Potresti fare un video sulle vostre operazioni?

[@billjim334]

Cgi

[@zangl2955]

Lol

[@user-kp3js1rx3n]

No me interesa.Sorry

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Ok 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Jejemb88]

@@ElephantSealResearchGroup lol