Researchers led by Martin Krenzlin from the University of Kiel tested whether elephants could recognize the smell, voice or sight of their former caretakers. In the experiment, elephants were presented with “stimuli” such as T-shirts worn by their former caretakers, recorded sounds and life-size photographs. The results showed that the elephants showed significantly more interest in the T-shirts, indicating strong olfactory memory. There was little reaction to the photos and sounds, probably due to poor eyesight.
This study highlights elephants’ deep social memory and suggests that long-term relationships with caretakers can have a positive impact on the well-being of captive elephants. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Source: Ferra
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