Study Finds Elephants Call Each Other by Name

A recent study done by Colorado State University has shown that elephants may be the first non-human animals to call each other by name. The wild African elephants the study looked at were found to use specific calls for individuals. These calls are the equivalent of human names. The study is still awaiting peer review but offers exciting new insight into animal communication and language.

The sounds elephants produce range from loud trumpeting to infrasounds that are too low to be heard by humans. Elephants also use touch, smell, and visual signals to communicate with each other. Additionally, studies have shown that elephants may use vibrations, or seismic activity, to communicate with each other over long distances. 

The study done by Colorado State University focused on sound. The researchers looked at the sounds produced by groups of wild African elephants in two regions. They were the elephants of the Samburu ecosystem and the Amboseli National Park. The dataset collected by the researchers looked at 625 calls.

Within these 625 calls, the researchers were able to recognize 114 unique initiators, or the elephants who made the calls. Additionally, they identified 119 elephants who were receiving the calls. The study confined the calls analyzed to those aimed at a single elephant to determine if the calls contained unique identifiers. 

By subjecting the data they collected to several tests, the researchers found that the elephant to whom the call was referring could be identified at a rate better than chance. By playing recordings of their “names” back to them, the researchers found that the elephants were more likely to approach the speaker when they heard their “name” than when they heard control calls. This study is the first to point to non-human animals using names to refer to each other. Although researchers have long been aware of elephants’ complex social dynamics, these findings add a new layer of complexity to the understanding of this species. 

Elephants are intelligent creatures with complex social dynamics. Sadly, they are often kept in captivity in cruel conditions. Sign this petition to Help Save Captive Elephants from Cruel Conditions!

Animals Are My Favorite People by Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content: 

• Protecting Elephants and Other Fruit-Eaters Benefits Our Climate
• Study Reveals Elephants and Tigers Are Top Choices for Brits Seeking Wildlife Encounters
• Over 200 Elephants and Thousands of Other Wild Animals Die Amid Kenya’s Drought
• After 30 Years of Being Tortured for Entertainment, These Elephants Were Reunited 
• Puerto Rico’s Only Elephant To Be Relocated to Elephant Sanctuary in Georgia 

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!