About the episode
For the first time, researchers have recorded how male elephants move their herd when they want to leave after a water cut-off, for example.
It is usually the most dominant male and important member of the group who gives the “let’s go” signal to the rest.
It’s nice to know, but also surprising. Because elephant herds are primarily led by females, it’s often the group members who use this refined form of communication. Now it seems that males can also take on this role.
To confirm this, the researchers recorded audio and video from the same water source for 12 years. Special equipment was needed for this, because we humans cannot hear the deep sound that elephants make.
The rest of the group also responds to the signal to leave. Each individual completes the one before him and the pitch of the voice is also modified to distinguish between group members.
This research comes on the heels of another extraordinary discovery, in which it became clear that elephants use unique names for each other. This is similar to how we use names.
You can see the “let’s go” gesture as a verb. And researchers say that if the two were combined, we could speak a single language.
The research also says something about the role of older male elephants in family groups. This is important knowledge for the conservation of animal species and the impact that the absence of these important group members can have on social structure.
Read more about the research here: Male elephants signal “let’s go” with a deep rumble.
