3K Views 3 years ago

Eyesight Plays Key Role in Elephants’ Balance, Study Finds

Young elephant holding another elephants tail with trunk. Elephants walking single file.

A new study published in the scientific journal Biology Letters reveals the impact that elephants’ vision has on their balance. The study was authored by Max Kurz and John Hutchinson. Dr. Kurz is a neuroscientist and physiologist. Dr. Hutchinson is a professor of evolutionary biometrics. By blindfolding trained Asian elephants, the two researchers were able to test their hypothesis that these large creatures rely heavily on their eyesight to maintain their balance. The experiment was carried out with Asian elephants who have been trained as animal actors for movies and television shows. The elephants came from Have Trunk Will Travel, an animal training company that has been accused of animal cruelty in the past.

Large animals, like elephants, can suffer more significant physical damage as a result of falls. Research suggests that the bigger an animal is, the more likely they are to suffer serious consequences from a fall. Internal injuries caused by a fall may even prove fatal for elephants. Since maintaining balance is so important to these creatures, scientists wondered what balancing mechanisms elephants employed.

Special blindfolds were created for the elephants. Then, sensors were attached to their feet and torsos. These sensors allowed the team to monitor the elephants’ movements. To test their balance with and without the use of sight, the researchers and trainers had the elephants walk in pairs along a path. One elephant walked in front, while the other walked behind. The elephant in the posterior position held onto the tail of the front elephant with their trunk. Researchers measured the difference between walks where the following elephant was blindfolded and walks where the following elephant had their vision intact.

Data from the experiment suggests that the elephants’ balance was impacted by the blindfolds. The timing of the blindfolded elephants’ footfalls was affected. Additionally, some elephants had greater difficulty taking consistent strides. After collecting this data, the study’s authors suggest that elephants’ vision is crucial to their balance.

While the data from this experiment provides an interesting insight into the elephant’s biology, the experiment’s methods are not without fault. The company, Have Trunk Will Travel, which provided the trained elephants has been accused of animal abuse in the past. They have been filmed using electric prods and bullhooks to force elephants to perform. Additionally, they have been accused of stealing young elephants from the wild and confining them unnaturally. Indeed, the company moved its operations from California to Texas after California banned the use of bullhooks.

Learning more about how animals experience the world is scientifically valid and interesting. Indeed, it can give humans a deeper understanding and appreciation for our fellow animals. However, no animal, human or otherwise, deserves to be treated with cruelty, experimented on, or otherwise abused.

Sign this petition to Protect Captive Elephants from Cruelty!