There are only a few species of animals – that we know of – that use unique names to refer to each other. Humans obviously fall into this category, as do dolphins and even sometimes parrots. And now we’ve learned there’s another majestic species that has this rare ability: wild African elephants.
But African elephants are also endangered, and their habitat has fallen by 50% over the past 45 years. We must urge international governments to come together to protect these incredible creatures! Sign the petition!
We already knew that elephants are incredibly complex, intelligent, social animals. They travel in communities where they know each individual member, they experience obvious joy and sorrow, and they hold funerals and grieve their dead.
Researchers discovered that wild African elephants have the ability to call out each other’s specific, unique names over long distances covering a vast savanna. When researchers recorded these sounds and played them back to particular elephants, the ones whose names were called began to flap their ears, lift their trunks, and display enthusiasm. Those whose names weren’t called ignored the sounds entirely.
As George Wittemyer, an ecologist, professor, and scientific adviser for the group Save the Elephants, has summarized: “Elephants are incredibly social, always talking and touching each other — this naming is probably one of the things that underpins their ability to communicate to individuals.”
But the world won’t see much more of this if we allow threats against African elephants to continue unabated. Every year, between 15,000 and 35,000 African elephants are poached – slaughtered – for their ivory tusks. On top of that, humans continue to further encroach on elephants’ habitat, both through human construction, as well as through sprawling agricultural expanses. And when you add climate change on top of that… it all gets to be too much.
But some governments, including those of Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, actually want to reduce protections for these gentle giants and increase hunting!
Sign the petition to demand these governments increase safeguards for elephants instead!
This article by Mathew Davis was first published by One Green Planet on 7 August 2024. Image Credit :Manoj Kumar Tuteja/Shutterstock.
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