Why does an elephant never forget?

Weather of Arabia - Although elephants do not have the strongest eyesight in the animal kingdom, they do have an amazing amount of memory and social cohesion, and in the talk of Carol Buckley, a worker at the Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary, we reminded us of a poignant incident that occurred in 1999. At that time, Buckley witnessed... A touching interaction between two elephants, Jenny and Shirley, after years of separation, seemed to be celebrating a long-awaited reunion. Buckley said:

"There was a feeling of joy in the air, and Shirley began to scream, and Jenny responded in the same way, and they were examining each other minutely. I had never seen such an expression of emotion without any hostile threat."

It turns out that Jenny and Shirley shared a common history several decades ago, and despite her knowledge of Jenny's past in the Carson and Barnes traveling circus, Buckley was completely unaware of the details of Shirley's history. When she investigated, it turned out that Shirley had been working in the circus with Jenny for a few months - 23 years ago.

The role of strong memory in elephants and its effect on continuity

Researchers point out that strong memory is an essential part of the survival of elephants, especially female leaders, as they possess a rich store of social knowledge that is crucial for survival according to a study conducted in Amboseli National Park in Kenya.

According to research from the University of Sussex in England, it was found that elephants with a mother aged 55 years - and elephants live around 50 to 60 years - were more likely to gather in a defensive position when confronted with an unknown elephant, explains Dr. Karen McComb, a psychologist and behavioral expert. Animals at the University of Sussex, and colleagues in the journal Science, said they were aware that these strangers might pose a threat, potentially endangering young elephants.

The amazing memory of elephants

When it comes to mental abilities, elephants outperform dolphins, apes and even humans, according to cognitive scientist Diana Rees and her colleagues at Emory University in Atlanta. They reported in a 2006 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States that elephants, like... Other mammals in this exclusive circle have the rare ability to recognize themselves when they see their reflections in a woman.

Ian Douglas Hamilton, a zoologist and founder of Elephant Rescue in Nairobi, Kenya, is an expert on elephants and has studied them for decades. He shares a remarkable story about encountering an elephant in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania early in his career, where he was able to... Walking alongside them in the wild with all friendliness, and although he had been absent from the area for four years when he left to write his thesis, when he returned, he found the elephants’ warm welcome and friendly behavior as Hamilton said:

“She came back to me like I never left, acting exactly the same.” He added: "This understanding was very clear between us, as we began to resume our friendly outings together."

This discovery proves the importance of the remarkable memory of elephants, especially since they are long-lived animals, which gives them a distinctive adaptation to the changing environment and conditions. Given their ability to remember the locations of food and resources over long periods, elephants remain alive, proving that memory is a valuable trait, so, When someone expresses their admiration for your ability to memorize and remember like an elephant, know that this is a well-deserved compliment.

Also know:

Why is the animal for scientific experiments the mouse?

Is there an insect that colors our food?

How do oysters make pearls?

Sources:

scientificamerican

sciencefocus