Elephants console one another when they are in distress, according to a new study. The creatures do this using a combination of sounds and touch.
This is the first time the intelligent mammals have been studied showing compassion for their fellow elephants. People have observed such acts from the animals throughout history, but research of Joshua Plotnik, behavioral ecologist and lecturer in conservation biology at Mahidol University in Thailand, quantified those behaviors for the first time. Together with Frans de Waal, professor of primate behavior in the Emory University psychology department, Plotnik studied the behavior of 26 elephants, living on a 30-acre elephant farm in northern Thailand. Whenever one of the animals became stressed, the researchers noted the actions of its fellow pachyderms.
Loose animals, including snakes or dogs, was one of the triggers causing stress reactions among the elephants. These include turning its ears at right angles to the head, tails go erect, and the creature "may emit a low-frequency rumble, trumpet and roar to signal its distress," Plotnik said.
When this happens, fellow elephants will walk to the side of a distressed individual, and use their trunks to lightly touch the face of the troubled individual. They will sometimes insert the tips of their trunks in the animal's mouth. Researchers believe this consolation behavior may act like a hug, providing emotional support. The elephants also make a high-pitched chirping sound, which they do not use when alone. This may act just as "ssh-ssh" does for humans, signifying everything is going to be alright.
Compassion has been recorded in other species as well, including dogs and great apes. Some species of corvids (birds that includes crows and ravens) have shown similar behavior.
Plotnik had started his study on elephants while he was a student at Emory University and together with de Waal, he revealed that elephants recognize themselves in mirrors. Dolphins, some apes, and magpies have also passed this test of self awareness.
"With their strong social bonds, it's not surprising that elephants show concern for others. This study demonstrates that elephants get distressed when they see others in distress, reaching out to calm them down, not unlike the way chimpanzees or humans embrace someone who is upset," co-author de Waal said.
Learning about the behavior of elephants under stress can help humans better manage the animals. "I really believe that to save elephants and other endangered species, we must educate children about them. Part of our Think Elephants International curriculum is getting kids directly involved in the research we do, so they learn first-hand about these amazing animals. Elephants are incredibly majestic and there is still so much to learn about their behavior and intelligence," Plotnik, who is also the founder and CEO of Think Elephants International, said.
The research into the compassionate nature of elephants has been published in the open access journal PeerJ.
