New research has revealed that African elephants use individual names to call and respond to each other, a behavior that is rare among wild animals. Published on Monday, the study highlights that these names are part of the low-frequency rumbles elephants use to communicate across long distances in the savanna.
Scientists suggest that animals with intricate social structures and family groups that frequently separate and reunite are more likely to use individual names. “Managing a large family requires being able to call specific individuals,” explained Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at Duke University who was not involved in the study.
While humans and domesticated dogs are known to use names, it is uncommon among wild animals. Some other examples include baby dolphins, which create unique signature whistles as their names, and parrots that may also use names. These species, like elephants, have the ability to learn and produce new sounds throughout their lives.
The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, involved biologists using machine learning to analyze a collection of savanna elephant vocalizations recorded in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve and Amboseli National Park. This analysis detected the use of individual names within the elephant calls.
