African elephants can distinguish between natural human speech and identify a potential threat. This skill helps them to survive in the wild.
African elephants are the largest modern terrestrial animals on Earth and belong to vulnerable species due to the threat of habitat loss and illegal hunting.
Researchers reproduced human voice recordings in Amboseli National Park in Kenya and observed the reaction of elephants. The work was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) and distributed by eNews Channel Africa.
Some voices belonged to the Maasai men who prey on animals, others to the men of the Kamba tribe, as a rule, to farmers or national park workers who do not pose a great danger to elephants. With the help of the speakers, children's and women's voices were also played. All voices sounded one phrase: "Look, look, the elephants are coming."
The study, which took place in the daytime, was attended by several hundred elephants from 47 families.
When the elephants heard the male voices of the hunters, they gathered in groups, raised their trunks up and carefully left the territory. The animals reacted calmly to the voices of children, women, and friendly men. And the elephants even distinguished the changed voices.
The ability to distinguish the male voices of different tribes, which reproduce the same phrase, suggests that elephants can distinguish people's languages, says study co-author Graeme Shannon of the University of Sussex.
This does not necessarily mean that the elephants understand the meaning of what has been said, but may be trying to interpret human speech, capturing the intonation of individual words. According to scientists, elephants are well aware when they are being hunted. Better than others, the danger is recognized by groups with old females.
As shown by another study, elephants are not the only animals with such abilities. So, wild dolphins in Brazil have become so close to people that they hunt fish together.
To distinguish people to some extent can also be superior primates, crows and prairie dogs.
Another study showed that the relationship between elephants and humans reached an alarming level, so all efforts to protect and preserve these animals are more important than ever. Experts believe that for animals, formally, we have become enemies.
Scientists continue to experiment on our smaller brothers. Recently, Harvard neurosurgeons taught a monkey to mentally control the body of another primate.
The article is based on materials .
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