She knew the signs, tension in the shoulders, the rigid tail, the low-frequency growl that wasn’t meant for human ears. This was not aggression. It was prevention. Behind the matriarch, the rest of the herd tightened their formation.
One of the younger elephants paced anxiously; another nudged a heavy log into place with quick, nervous thrusts. Dust rose around their barricade as they reinforced it with frantic, purposeful movement.