Did you know that elephants have the most neurons than any terrestrial mammal? They also have the biggest brain of any land species. Elephants are extremely intelligent animals. Their brains are so multifaceted that they are capable of remembering, learning, experiencing, and most importantly communicating! While many of these neurons exist to regulate the elephant’s massive and dexterous body, these animals have repeatedly proved their extraordinary mental capacities.
Elephants are the biggest terrestrial animals on the planet. In the wild, they have a lifetime of 50-70 years. They are regarded to be trainable because of their experience in the circus. Sadly, they are being poached only for their ivory tusks. The pack/matriarch herd is the oldest living female. All females in the herd mother all calves or baby elephants. But that’s just an inkling of behaviors that prove their intelligence. Here are some fascinating studies on elephant intellect.
Elephants Are Incredibly Smart, These Behaviors Prove It
Elephants Use Tools
Elephants have been observed using sticks to scratch themselves in locations where they would otherwise be unable to access, as well as making fly swatters out of twigs or grass. Others have been seen excavating a hole to get to drinking water, then covering it with a ball made of chewed bark to keep the water from evaporating and conserving it for later use.
Elephants Mourn Death
It would be an exaggeration to claim that elephants, or any other animals, comprehend death in the same manner that people do. Elephants, on the other hand, have shown remarkable reactions to the deaths of their kind, frequently expressing what appear to humans to be signs of sadness and grieving. When a newborn elephant dies, its mother is known to pick it up with her trunk. She then sets it in a location where the calf is surrounded by ground detritus such as twigs, branches, and mud. This ceremony is assisted by the herd’s other female members. They would stand beside the body of the deceased for hours, caressing the bones of the dead with their trunks. They even try to bury the bodies on occasion. They don’t act like this with the corpses of other animals. When finished, the remainder of the herd will pay their respects to the mother.
Elephants Have Extraordinary Memory
Elephant brains have the same number of cortical neurons as human brains and bigger pyramidal neurons (specialized neurons known to play a vital role in cognitive activities) than humans, implying that elephants may have superior learning and memory abilities. Elephants can recall routes to drinking holes over extremely extended periods and space. This is essential for elephants living in the desert, where water is limited.
Elephants Can Show Empathy
A recent study reveals that the ability to detect and respond to the feelings and intentions of others—empathy—may not be a uniquely human skill. Elephants are thought to be one of the world’s most empathetic mammals. In one research, elephants utilized both physical touch and vocal noises to soothe one another, caressing one another with their trunks and uttering little chirps.
