Research Indicates Elephants Could Be Using Individual Names to Communicate
WASHINGTON—Researchers studying elephants have observed an interesting phenomenon. Sometimes, when an elephant vocalizes to a group, all of them respond, but other times, only one elephant responds to a similar call.
A new study in Kenya involving wild African savannah elephants supports the idea that elephants may address each other by a form of name. The researchers examined vocalizations, mostly rumbles, made by over 100 elephants in two national parks.
Using a machine-learning model, they identified name-like components in these calls, indicating a specific elephant as the intended recipient. The researchers played audio for 17 elephants to observe their responses to calls addressed to them versus others.
Elephants responded more vigorously to calls directed at them, showing enthusiasm, moving towards the sound, and vocalizing more. This suggests that elephants may communicate with what can be likened to names.
Lead author Mickey Pardo of Cornell University stated that elephants address each other with a name-like system, emphasizing the importance of social bonds in their interactions.
Elephants, known for their intelligence and complex behaviors, engage in elaborate interactions when greeting each other. The use of specific vocal labels among elephants appears mainly during contact calls and interactions between calves and mothers.
While naming through vocal labels is uncommon in the animal kingdom, dolphins and parrots also exhibit this behavior. However, unlike these animals, elephants’ names seem to be arbitrary, resembling human-like names rather than imitations.
This research highlights the intelligence and complexity of elephants, calling for increased conservation efforts to protect these remarkable animals.
While the idea of communicating with elephants is appealing, further research is needed to understand the syntax and encoding of information in their vocalizations before such communication can be achieved.
By Will Dunham
