If you’ve ever come across a video of an elephant cub, you probably couldn’t help thinking about how cute they are. These magnificent creatures are as intelligent as they are cute. The region where elephants live may be a factor in their intelligence being so agile. Because it is necessary for them to have a brain that can process information and remember it when appropriate, in order to avoid the risk of being hunted.
These cute animals weigh 4.5 kg, are at least as strong as the human brain, ingenious and how strong is the memory that records the memories? Let’s examine it together.
The saying “Elephants never forget” is scientifically accepted.
While elephants recognize their herds, they have the ability to distinguish up to 30 different elephants in another herd by sight or smell. This ability comes in handy during migration times or when encountering other potentially hostile elephants.
They can also remember and discern clues that danger is coming. In addition, they can remember places long after their visit.
Just like humans, they remember many memories.
The most interesting part of elephant memory is that it also retains memories unrelated to survival. Elephants not only remember members of their herd, but also other creatures that make a strong impression on them.
For example, two elephants who performed together for a short time at the circus are happy when they meet on the road 23 years later. They can recognize living things other than their own kind, and they remember the people they befriended years later.
Elephants are land animals with the largest brains.
Elephants have very large brains that do more than respond to stimuli. They also have an impressive encephalization (brain growth) quotient. This is the expected brain size of an animal relative to its body.
Also, elephants have IQs almost as high as chimpanzees. In other words, their brains have as many neurons and synapses as ours, and a highly developed hippocampus and cerebral cortex.
In the event of a possible drought, their memory becomes more important.
In a study conducted by Biology Letters in 2008; It has been proven that herds with old elephants can more easily survive the drought in the region. It has been observed that these older elephants successfully lead the herd to the water environment, remembering how the herd survived the previous drought.
Another herd observed in the study was led by a young female elephant. The flock chose to stay put rather than travel to find water, and the cubs had a 63% death rate that year. This rate is only 2% in drought.
According to research, the memory of older females is essential for herds.
O’Connell, who conducted the research on the subject, related to the memory of female elephants. “Therefore, older females have importance as important stores of information. This is why long-term memory can directly lead to survival.” says.
A 2011 study in the journal Biological Sciences showed that young elephants do not respond adequately to the roaring sounds of male lions, while older elephants remembering previous lion attacks take up defensive positions. This shows that age is also important in elephant memory.
Could their unique brain structure be what elicits their memories?
Bob Jacobs, professor of psychology at Colorado College, who deals with neuroscience, says elephants’ cortical neurons are completely different from those of other species. He adds that the properties of these neurons indicate that elephants are thinking carefully about their memories.
Elephants, which have the largest body and brain among land mammals, have a very large temporal lobe (the part that encodes memory).
More important than their memory is their ability to empathize and their tendency to feel everything.
Elephants are the only animals other than humans who mourn their dead, grieve after their loss, perform ceremonies for their dead and visit the graves. They are also sensitive enough to be concerned about other species besides themselves.
As we can see in the light of the studies, these animals with a high sense of empathy stood by to protect the injured people and tried to calm them down with their trunks.
On the other hand, most attacks by elephants on human villages occur after extensive poaching or separation. This means that the attacks are made with the aim of revenge.
An amazing species that is self-aware.
Elephants are among the rare animals that can recognize themselves in the mirror, in addition to all these features. This shows that they are conscious, intelligent and emotional creatures. Unfortunately, we cannot say that elephants are treated with compassion in the world.
They suffer especially from habitat destruction in Asia, ivory hunting in Africa, and poor care and captivity all over the world. Although we know that elephants are such wonderful creatures, we must take the necessary precautions and offer them safer living spaces.
Our responsibility to protect the existence of elephants in the world, which John Donne describes as “the great masterpiece of nature”, will be to ensure the continuation of their descendants by creating safe zones for these magnificent creatures.
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