"It has long been known that elephants are intelligent and capable of empathy," says Joshua Plotnik, who tajvanské Mahidol University lecturer environmental protection. Within the organization Think Elephants International focused on behavioral observations of elephants in captivity. And he managed to document that the elephants express their sad or frightened kinds of comfort and support. A delicate touches both trunk and acoustically. Sometimes the consolation adding more elephants.
"Elephants are social animals who form strong social bonds," said Plotnik. "Their interest in the other elephants is not surprising. Interestingly, it can frightened or sad elephant soothe and encourage. "
"An elephant can scare anything: a poisonous snake in the grass, walking the dog around the fence. Some elephants are not at ease when in the vicinity of another elephant, which they do not like, "says Plotnik. When the elephant in a bad mood, afraid or sad, it's up to him to know: his ears pulls away from the body, the tail rises and gives the elephant low frequency grunts, honking or yelling.
Plotnik observed that sad or upset elephant tries to appease another elephant. For example, by gently touching the trunk, face, trunk or gently shoves in ivory mouth. "It's obviously a kind gesture, I come in peace ', as well as elephants can bite," says Plotnik. Then touches the elephant comforter usually accompanies a comforting sound, a kind of high chirping. "That sound I heard at the elephants, only when someone consoled. It's probably the same as when a grown man comforting a small child and makes him, ssssss', "says Plotnik.
His observations are concerned not only elephants in captivity. It is a group of 26 Asian elephants living in the 15-hectare land elephant sanctuary. In the future, Plotnik wanted to verify that they have the same outpouring of sympathy and elephants in the wild. The problem is that the population of wild elephants in Asia and Africa are shrinking and it is not easy to observe.
Video
Source: Ekolist.cz
