On command, just like our pets.
whitemay/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images
Having a “memory like an elephant” isn’t an understatement.
We know a lot about these beasts’ intelligence, but their ability to memorize sounds is just starting to come to light.
For a September 6 study in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, a team of researchers trained 13 African elephants to produce an array of sounds when humans prompted them.
With a bit of encouragement, this elephant can trumpet loudly on cue.
Rewards and reinforcement are a big part of getting elephants to recognize when to speak.
The researchers even trained elephants to make high-pitched noises that are atypical of their species.
Another sound — the “throb” — is out of the ordinary for elephants, but they can still learn how to make it.
Shutterstock
Read more stories about animals here.