African, European and American naturalists have discovered that wild African elephants are able to give each other full names, which they actively use to attract attention and communicate among themselves.
“We found that elephants do not simply imitate the signals of the individual they want to communicate with, but rather use abstract vocal signals to signal other individuals,” says Kurt Freestrup, a researcher at the University of Colorado. “One of the most interesting findings that suggests the existence of Other similar symbols in the elephants' vocabulary.
Scientists reached this conclusion after a long follow-up of the lives of several groups of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) that live in Kenya in the Samburu Nature Reserve and Amboseli National Park. The researchers deployed a large number of microphones in the areas of the elephants, and recorded a large number of signals exchanged between them during... Years 1986-2022.
When analyzing the characteristics of these signals using an innovative algorithm, the researchers discovered that elephants use special sequences of sounds when communicating with specific relatives that they do not use when interacting with others. According to them, the distinctive characteristics of the structure of these “signs” make it possible, with a probability of 87 percent, to “identify” the elephant trying to contact this or that elephant.
"Gaining the ability to communicate with elephants allows us to significantly improve their protection against human threats," says Professor George Whitmire from the University of California, California. "For example, elephants often eat crops, and in such cases, we can warn them that they will be killed if they approach fields."
Fascinating.
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