Elephants are able to recognize human voices and discern the voice of men and women

The man - the enemy slona



It is known that elephants have an excellent memory - their survival in our human world depends on it. Perhaps that is why elephants are able to recognize human voices.

People are the most serious threat to elephants (after the lions), but not all people are a threat. A new study shows that elephants have a good memory so that they can distinguish between the voice of different ethnic groups and even the sex and age of the person.

In Kenya, there are two ethnic groups that belong to the elephants in different ways. For young people from the Maasai kill an elephant with a spear - a way to demonstrate the power and virility. People from the Kamba tribe are mainly farmers and threats to elephants do not represent.

Elephants, by their behavior, more afraid of people who smell, and dressed like the Masai. However, the smell of clothes and easy to change, but the voices are more diverse, and change is more difficult.

Researchers recorded on tape the words "Look, there's the elephants," said the voice of men and women from the Maasai men and women of the tribe of the languages ​​of the Kamba tribe, and lost it through a speaker near herds of elephants. Aggressive all the elephants reacted to the sound of voices of Maasai men, and a woman's voice they did not have such a reaction, perhaps because women usually do not hunt elephants.



Then the researchers altered a little voice: men made thinner, and a female husky added. The results were the same: the sound of the voices of male Masai elephants behaved aggressively, with the sound of voices Masai boys are just like the female, almost did not react.

This means that elephants can recognize human voices and define them, is whether the predator (and for the people of elephants - that predators) danger or not. Such skills can play a crucial role in survival.

via factroom.ru